Awkward
by lovelylittlebow
Summary: Lucy's reputation as a nobody changed when rumors of her supposed suicide attempt ruled the school. Of course, she has her mother's luck, so this gains the attention of Natsu Dragneel, a boy more than familiar to rumors himself. But of course, this is high school. When are things ever simple? Nalu. Multi-chaptered. High school AU.
1. Mother's Luck

Note: Fair warning, this story is loosely based of Awkward. It's not going to follow Awkward's storyline, but it's going to be similar. Some things to note, some characters are going to be OCC, but I'll try my hardest to keep them as Mashima wanted. There will be cursing, sexual content (it _is_ based on Awkward), and violence. This entire story will be Lucy's point of view, unless stated otherwise.

PROLOGUE

 _Lucy,_

 _As you are now, you could disappear and no one would notice. Below is a list of suggestions that you should seriously consider:_

 _Number 1: Stop being such a pussy._

 _Number 2: Your instincts suck. Second guess them._

 _Number 3: The only people more pathetic than you are your friends. Drop the dead weight._

 _Number 4: When you're pretty, you're happy. And clearly you're not happy._

 _Number 5: Pull your head out your ass and stand out._

 _Number 6: Nobody likes the pitiful. Stop being such a drag._

 _Number 7: You have to be cruel to be kind._

 _Number 8: Make amends._

 _A Friend_

The problem with being "unpopular" is that there are so many people to share your pain with, but no one truly cares. It's almost like a backwards prayer circle. Without the Jesus and stuff.

When I began high school, I was positive that the popularity stuff was all made up and it was just a product of a bad Hollywood movie. I've never been so dead wrong. It almost hurt actually, like physically. In my first day of school, I did manage popularity. I was known as the girl who attempted to kill herself with a huge bottle of Tylenol while listening to Lana Del Rey at 2:30 in the morning. Oh, and I was also the girl who got Natsu Dragneel-yes, _the_ Natsu Dragneel, don't get your panties wet, ladies-notice the opposite gender enough to get asked out. Now, if you're the kind to listen to rumors and believe them, shame on you. Except, ahem, this one is almost completely true. It all started the week before school, where I got the letter that will surely ruin my entire life. My High School life, anyway.

" _In the land of Gods and Monsters, I was an angel…"_

The time was irrelevant now, losing itself somewhere at midnight. Even though I was sure it was late enough for the evening creatures that sang outside to quiet down, my body was still alert and awake. Some would call it insomnia, I would call it hell. I would want to say that it all started when Mom died, but that's not true. It started some time before middle school, when my biggest worry was boys and friends, not if chemo would work this week. Ignorance is bliss, right?

" _If I get a little prettier, can I be your baby?"_

The letter stood proudly amongst the mess on the sink, shining between lipstick and razors. It had everything written on it that I knew was true but didn't want to hear. Or read. It felt like a punch in the face with a sweet smile. Was I really that unlikeable? What could've I done to make someone so angry? Is this how others see me?

The questions moved like little ghosts in the room, laughing and tittering away at my despair. When I didn't answer any of them, they went away, only to be replaced by worse ones. I could barely hear the soft music, knowing Dad was sleeping his money away somewhere. I thought I knew myself, I thought the years of confusion and identity issues were buried along with my middle school yearbooks. Everyone knew me as the quiet rich girl, nothing more, nothing less. I had a small group of friends-two, if I'm honest-that consisted of sweetheart Lisanna Strauss and high honor roll Levy McGarden. Neither of them would be mean enough to send me something that would make me want to vomit, would they?

That was enough to send a pounding to my head, definitely. Somewhere in my fuzzy head, I remembered the innocent white Tylenol bottle behind the bathroom mirror. My pale hand reached up, not noticing the black cord that was attached to my iPod speaker. With a little _pop_ , the mirror stood aside to reveal the pain reliever. But I've been known to have my mother's luck.

Which is why when I reached up to take the bottle, the cord got tangled in my arm, and the speaker fell with a loud sound. The bottle spilled out of the shelf along with other items when I rattled the sink out of fear. Which of course, my dad didn't close the damn thing, and all the pills spilled out like a river. Out of sheer frustration, dumb tears began swelling up in my eyes. My dad broke in, saw the mess, and his first assumption was a suicide attempt.

That's precisely why I ended up outside of the guidance counselor's office with a hospital band and every urge to run away.

But as I said, I have my mother's luck.

So that's when the "hottest" boy in school decided to open up the door at the same exact moment I opened it from the other side, causing us to collide.

And for him to-before even saying sorry-exclaim, "You're the suicide girl!" Once he saw my face.

Somewhere in heaven, my mom is sipping a martini and laughing away.

END NOTE: So that's the first chapter. Very short, I know, I'm sorry! The next ones will hopefully be longer. Some warnings, there WILL some OC's. This is my first multi-chaptered Fairy Tail story. I hope you enjoyed it. Reviews are welcomed, any kind. Have a great day!


	2. Spinach

**Note: Finally, the second chapter. This chapter introduces the quirky guidance counselor, Mirajane. Yes, she's going to be the guidance counselor, because she seems to really fit that role, haha. The first chapter kinda came out weird, so I hope this one is better. I'm fairly new to , but I'm learning my way! This story is more silly than serious, and it's just for personal fun. If you do like it, thank you very much! And if you don't, I don't blame you whatsoever. Seriously, it's not meant to be one of my more serious works, unlike** ** _The Sword_** **or something like that.**

 **SPINACH**

"Mhm, and how did that make you feel?"

"What?"

"I asked how it made you feel."

"I was talking about what I had for lunch yesterday…"

"Right, right. Is your defiance towards authority an issue in your household?"

"What are you even talking about?"

My very first session with the guidance counselor, Ms. Strauss, made me wish it was my last. She was obviously not cut out for the job, as she basically read out common therapist questions. It made me wonder how she even got a degree or a job here, and my question was soon answered when I saw a framed picture of her and the principal at a Christmas party. Or maybe it was a Halloween party? Whatever the case was, Ms. Strauss as quick to notice my interest in the photograph.

"Oh, yeah the principal and me are good friends."  
"The principal and I."

"The principal and you what?"

"No, no. You just said the sentence wrong. It's the principal and I are good friends, not the principal and me."

"Oh my, I didn't realize I had gotten my degree wrong. Oh dear, how will I survive knowing that I, _Mirajane Strauss_ , the prodigy of the English language, had gotten a degree in social psychology instead of English?"

"Sucks to suck I guess."

I could barely believe this was happening to me. The woman before me was obviously not the teaching or guiding type. She was more cut out to be a model, with her beautiful white hair and sweet blue eyes. I wasn't the least bit surprised her and Lisanna were siblings, but that went down the drain when Ms. Strauss showed the personality was certainly not genetic. While Ms. Strauss was sweet, she had a real bite to her that Lisanna lacked. She was also a bit of an airhead.

"So let's talk about your, ahem, suicide attempt."

"Wait, why would you say it like that? Not that I actually attempted suicide, but it's that a bit blunt?"

"Oh my, marijuana too? We're going to be here awhile."

"I never even-you know what, nevermind. Look, Ms. Strauss, I'm not even supposed to be here, okay? I told you what happened, it was all an accident. It just looked wrong."

"Just an accident, huh? That's what one of my ex-boyfriends told me, before he turned gay for another of my ex-boyfriends."

"…"

"Anyway, Ms. Heartfilia, let _me_ explain something. Your father, Mr. Jude, has funded this school for longer than any of us teachers could remember. Meaning that, since you are his daughter, you must get the absolute best treatment our school has to offer. And this is where I come in. I am the guidance counselor, therefore I will guide you towards a brighter and better future."

"So, uh, which pamphlet did you get that one from?"

"I'm going to ignore that and continue. Like I said, your father is very influential in our school district, and in return, we offer our services to him and his family. Meaning you. Actually, only you."

As much as I hated to admit it, she wasn't wrong. My dad was in fact extremely influential in my school. Which is why, regardless of my actual academic skill, I was always on honor roll and my teachers went from Honda's to Lexus' the same week. And that's also why the "hottest" boy in school, after the suicide comment, turned bright red and scrambled away once he realized my _other_ reputation as the freaky rich girl. It strung, sure, because that was the only time he was ever going to talk to me, that's for sure.

Our house wasn't extraordinarily big after we moved, to get away from my mother's memories that haunted our old houses' halls. But moving in the middle of 8th grade, a year after my mother's death, caused huge chances in me. I was once the poised, snobby rich girl that everyone already deemed me to be. And now I am a freaky, snobby rich girl. Once I moved from the private, tuition that cost more than college school and into a public school is when things turned for the worse, because I was soon surrounded by friends. When they realized I was too weird and too depressed to use as a human credit card, they scrambled away just like the hot boy did, like when the light turns off and the moths aren't attracted to bright bulbs anymore.

"You're thinking awfully hard, what's on your mind?" Mira asked, for the first time actually sounded concerned. I knew she didn't buy the attempted suicide thing, and simply just wanted time to kill or wanted to look busy. Whatever it was, she obviously didn't take this seriously, until now.

"Nothing, just thinking. Class starts soon, right? Maybe I should go."

"Remember, every fifth period-"

"I come straight here. Got it."

The awkward silence drove me straight to the door without saying goodbye. I was almost at the door when Mira's voice suddenly stopped me.

"By the way, there's some spinach on your teeth. It's gross. Have a great day!"

My classes were every bit as hellish as ever. I was blessed with the luck of a free period in the morning, only to be followed by Calculus (who would torture a person with Calculus? Why? _Why?_ ). The teacher seemed to believe that we should know everything about Calculus ever, because she gladly handed us a practice quiz…on our first day of school. It's not graded, she reminded us. I imaged her going home and rubbing her hands together while fire surrounded her and horns grew out of her head. She'd have a red pen in her hand, but the ink isn't just ink, _nooooo,_ it's the blood of the poor children who failed her classes the past years. She'd cackle evilly as she crossed out our wrong answers.

My thoughts were quickly diverted when I heard a cheerful, "Hey Lu!"

I was soon grazed with the presence of my two friends, Levy and Lisanna. Levy already had two Literature books the size of her head pilled on top of her arms, and Lisanna had a packet that I suspected had to do with the school charity clubs. I was a bit disappointed once I realized that lunch might be the only time we'd get to see each other. We, of course, skipped past the lunch food and went straight to the tables.

"Hey guys, what's up?" I said, as we all filled into a lunch table together, that was big enough to fit five people.

"Nothing much, I'm so excited that classes are now starting! I get to see… _him_ again," Levy whispered the word 'him' as one would say the name of a dead person.

"Who?" Lisanna asked ever so sweetly, as if Levy hadn't told us time and time again about her crush. Crush being used extremely loosely of course.

"DMX! Y'know, the guy I thought was so hot since middle school?" Levy flailed her arms dramatically, successfully knocking down my bottle of water with no remorse. _It was so innocent._

The name DMX had started when I first came to Magnolia High. I met Levy within ten minutes, and she confided in me that the guy in my Wood class was her crush after two days of knowing each other. I never got his name, because the teacher seemed to just skip over him when checking our work. Whether it was because Levy's crush was really good at Wood or because he looked like a serial killer, I wasn't sure. So instead of getting his name, I (bravely) stole his iPod and saw that all he had…was DMX. No seriously. That was it. No Fall Out Boy, no hardcore rap…just DMX. A silent tear rolled down my eye when I put it back once I thought of Levy.

"Oh yes, the one with terrible taste in music? Seriously, I cried. A tear came out, Levy. _TEARS."_ I could almost feel the sadness sweeping over me again.

"Oh, stop being so dramatic, Lu! So what if he likes DMX? It's _fine._ He's still hot," Levy said, while Lisanna just simply watched our banter in amusement. The other tables began filling up, and I knew eventually the hot boy, Natsu Dragneel, would show up.

"I'm not being dramatic, _he_ is. Yes, DMX is cool…but only DMX? Who does that? I risked my life to steal his iPod after Wood class, to only see he likes DMX? What type of shit is that?"

"Lu, you can't talk. All you listen to is Lana Del Rey, and may I add that you even listen to her when you attempt suicide? If anything, you're a lot weirder than he is."

Oh hell no. She didn't just bring up the one most humiliating moment of my entire life. Besides the one time I burst into tears in the middle of Math class when the girl next to me gossiped about my mom to her friend.

"First, we've talked about this. My dad was just in the wrong moment, okay? And second, you said you wouldn't bring it up! You swore on our Magic Mike DVD! And third, never speak ill of Lana Del Rey, ever again."

"Ok, you're right, we won't talk about the suicide thing…but what about the letter you got, Lu? Do you know who sent it?"

A spark of anger poked my stomach. "No, Levy, I do not. I have no idea why someone would waste their time, energy, and paper sending me something so fucking stupid. Okay so I only have two friends, I'm anti-social, and kinda hate everything? So what? Can't I get some slack? It's like another slap in the face after mom died."

"Yeah, you're right," said Levy, frowning. "Let's just talk about something else then."

At this moment, Lisanna decided to speak up. "So Lucy, why is Natsu staring at you?"

What.

Of course, I dumbly decided to look up, and he was in fact staring at me. Not the Edward Cullen stares at Bella kind of way. No, the kind of way that you stare at a dead frog before you dissect it. It was hard to find him between the crowd of people he gathered, but his mega-watt smile and pink hair where unmistakable. My self-esteem took a blow when we made eye contact and he turned to his friend to whisper something and they both laughed.

"Wow, he _was_ staring at you Lu. I mean, it makes sense. You are really pretty!" Aw. "But you have like, the dullest personality." Bitch.

Lisanna giggled and spoke before I could verbally abuse Levy. "C'mon, Levy. Lucy's gorgeous, and so is her personality. To be honest, I'm surprised she hasn't gotten a boyfriend yet."

At this, Levy nodded along seriously, before turning back to Natsu and his friends, who were now openly laughing at something and looking ridiculously hot while doing it.

"Come to think of it, you were friends with them, right Lisanna?"

Lisanna's smile turned dark. "Sure I was, Lucy. But that's over now. I have you guys, and that's enough!"

Levy and I both shared a look of uncomfortable concern.

"By the way, Lucy, what's that on your teeth? Spinach?"

The end of the day couldn't come fast enough. I was cursed with having one class with Natsu Dragneel, which happened to be the same class two of his friends were in. Gray Fullbuster and Erza Scarlet. According to Lisanna, Natsu and Gray never truly got along, and Erza was sort of their unofficial referee. With fists. Did I mention that this class was a creative writing class?

And even more so, our first day assignment was to write about a traumatic experience, all in third person. Well, this is going to suck.

 **End note: There you have it, chapter two. There isn't that much Nalu yet, and I apologize. Also, the letter hasn't been spoken much of, and that is for a reason. I assure you, it will become very important. And like I said, this doesn't follow the Awkward storyline, so the person who wrote the letter is going to be someone different, as Lucy's mom dies in this story, unlike Awkward. Since this is loosely based on Awkward, I should have a character list, so here it is:**

 **Lucy Heartfilia-Jenna Hamilton**

 **Natsu Dragneel-Matty McKibben (kinda)**

 **Levy McGarden-Tamara**

 **Ming Huang-Lisanna (again, kinda. Just for the friend content)**

 **Sadie Saxton-Erza Scarlet (way less bitchy though)**

 **Gray Fullbuster-Jake Roseti**

 **Mirajane Strauss-Valerie Marks**

 **Juvia Lockser-Lissa**

 **You don't have to watch the show to understand what's going on, but for those who do, this is a bit of a reference. There might be other ships as well, but I'm working on those as the story goes along. Might be the generic Nalu, Gajevy, Gruvia, but I like to spice things up. Thank you for reading!**


	3. Creampuff

**Note: I should be doing pre-calc homework, but helllll nah. Awkward is more important. By the way, thanks for the support. It's little, but way more than I thought I would have. This story is, like I said, personal fun and a way to deal with some bad things in my life. So if you read and it and decide it's horrible, that's perfectly fine! In this chapter, we meet Jellal, who I decided to make him "Tower of Heaven" Jellal, since that's my favorite version of him. I loved seeing him in that chair, acting as if the entire arc was a game. I was so intrigued by his character, and I was surprised to see how deep and dark he was. Sorry, I'm rambling. Without further ado, here's chapter three!**

"They fought for freedom, with no blood to truly be shed. They slaughtered children under white moonlights, and spoke of religious gold. They forced the villagers to worship hatred disguised by little black books and spoke of the wrong, never the right. That night, a group of young men, thirsty for basic human rights rioted. The river ran a deep crimson that night, and those young men were permanently quieted. That is the story of the Village of Ashes…"

Jellal Fernandez, was without a doubt, _that_ kid. Our writing assignment was to write a traumatic experience, regardless if it was fictional or not. Of course, we were grazed to have Jellal go first, only to be horrified for forty minutes while he read his story out loud. It was about a village in a fictional place, that were overtaken by followers of Satan and soon killed all the adults, and forced the children to follow their religion. If they oppressed, they got killed. Then, a group of young boys tried to riot, only to also be killed. Way to bring up a Tuesday morning, amirite?

"Uhm, wow, what great imagery! _Very_ unique. Why don't you meet me after class so we can discuss just how unique it was, Mr. Fernandez?" Asked the teacher, after ten minutes of complete silence. No one knew how to react, or if we should doubt our entire lives. The only person who clapped (politely) was Erza, who looked disturbed herself.

"Well, that's all for today…uh, please make sure that those who did not present their story today, that they are ready to do those tomorrow." Our teacher could've possibly been a mixture of all my past teachers. Incredibly boring, and not noteworthy whatsoever. She had think rimmed glasses and wore black pencil skirts religiously.

Once class was dismissed, I made sure to seek out Levy, only for my name to be called. To my extreme surprise, standing in the middle of the crowded hallway, was Jellal. His shocking blue hair stood out against the beige walls and his face tattoo scrunched up against his face.

I patiently waited for him to catch up while reading a poster about drug tolerance.

"Hello, Lucy. I'm Jella Fernandez." To add to his way too polite dialect, he stuck out his hand. I stared at it for a good minute, before risking possibly my entire life and shook it.

"Hey, what's up?" Oh sweet Lord, let there be an emergency where I would conveniently wouldn't have to socialize with Mr. Village of Ashes.

"I just wanted to compliment your story on the Stargazer that died, it was very well written. Also, I heard what happened over the summer and I wanted to share my deepest condolences."

What the even fuck. He didn't mean _the thing_ , did he?

"Your suicide attempt," He clarified, as if I needed it. Of course it was that.

"Uh, thanks? But that's just a misunderstanding, don't worry."

"Of course, my mistake. Goodbye, Lucy," With a sinister smile, he went off into the opposite direction, without ever looking back. A shiver ran up my arms and the loneliness of the crowded halls became too much to bare. Why did he sound like it really wasn't "his mistake"?

"Do you have _the thing?"_ Levy's voice echoed in my dark room, the only light was a small lighter with the initials N.D. carved in childish handwriting that Lisanna supplied.

"Yeah, it's right here. Ow, fuck, I put in a box with needles, dammit!"

"Good going Lu, you're going places…not college, but places."

"I don't need your shit right now, Lev. What I need is for one of you to turn on the light! My dad does not neglect his daughter to work hard so I can have lighting. Did you know in the bible God-yes, God-said let there be light? How dare you, a Christian pupil, disobey God's orders?"

"Lu, shut up. And don't bring up your home issues like that, it disrupts the eerie mood. Plus, it makes me feel upset."

"Oh boo-hoo, go cry a rider while listening to Ruff Ryders Anthem. Maybe your boytoy will be summoned if you play it hard enough."

"Guys! Stop!" Lisanna finally spoke up, waving the lighter around enough to make me feel nervous. "Lucy, stop making fun of Levy's crush. It's not his fault that he likes DMX, we all have guilty pleasures. And Levy, leave Lucy alone."

"Stop being the voice of reason, Lis, it's too logical for 2:00 in the morning," I grumbled, finally finding The Letter. Yes, the one thing that has haunted me since summer. Levy and Lisanna hadn't seen a physical copy until now, only the things I told them. They instantly invited themselves to my house, and waited until two in the morning to actually read the thing.

"I got it!"

"Good, Lu, now put it near the light. Be careful! We don't want it to go up in flames."

"Like my mixtape."

"You don't have-"

"It comes out in June, featuring DMX."

"Goddammit Lucy!"

This time, instead of scolding us, Lisanna giggled. "Alright, now let's see if we can decipher this letter and see who would write something like this to Lucy."

"I have a question. What would we even do if we found out who it was? It was probably a group of assholes who have nothing to do on a Friday night," I said.

"Like us," Supplied Levy.

"Yeah, like us," I agreed. "Wait, what?"

"Report them, duh! They said some seriously messed up things. Luckily for _you,_ my sister is pretty close to the principal and can probably get the person expelled. That, and your dad kinda scares the entire school," Lisanna explained, and then continued to read the letter.

"Yeah, I wonder why someone would target Lucy out of all of us. Everyone knows it's just us and that we don't really hang out with other people. Why just Lucy?" Levy's voice began getting high-pitched and nervous.

As much as I hated to admit it, the letter did make me feel terrible. It made me feel that I was only know for a terrible reason, that I was an outcast all over again. Not that I would ever say this aloud.

"What if it was someone we knew? Who did you piss off over the summer and not tell us about, Lucy?" Lisanna's piercing blue eyes stabbed me.

"No one, I told you. I stayed home and watched Scared Beyond Straight. Stop gagging, Levy, it's a great show! Have you ever been to jail? No? Didn't think so, you're not tough enough, you creampuff."

 _"_ _Excuse me?_ For _your_ information, _you_ look like a creampuff."

"Well, you look like a marshmallow, and you act like one. Don't give me that look, I saw you crying when Scar killed Mufasa."

"It was _sad._ "

"You're sixteen, put on some big girl panties."

"Oh I'll show you big girl panties-"

"Guys! Enough! Gosh, how many times do we have to go through this?!" Lisanna finally snapped, anger sweeping her features.

"When you finally start cursing, Lis. Like it's been two years, drop an F bomb, call someone a gardening tool."

"It's vulgar and unladylike," Lisanna explained. "Back to the letter! Ok, so this person either genuinely thinks they're helping you, or is being a total jerkface. I'm leaning more towards number one. Maybe it's a type of tough love?"

"Yeah," I scoffed. "The kind they give before the pile drive my ass. This person obviously hates me, for whatever reason."

"Lucy?" It was Levy this time.

"Yeah?"

"The person who wrote this goes to our school."

"How do you know?"

 _"'_ _The only people more pathetic than you are your friends. Drop the dead weight.'_ I don't know about you, but it feel like this person knows about your mom. I don't think they put the word 'dead' there for no reason."

"Levy, _everyone_ knows about my mom. Question is, who would be sadistic enough to write something like this?"

The dark room became silent again…

"Did you hear? Gray Fullbuster is having his birthday party this weekend. It's invitation only."

"Oh? Seriously?"

"Apparently, someone invited Freaky Suicide to the party. Can you believe it? She'll probably try to steal all his Ibuprofen or something."

"Who even invited her anyway?"

"You won't believe it. Erza Scarlet, the biggest bitch there is. I swear she's like, _obsessed_ with school or something."

"And is Gray cool with it?"

"According to Juvia, he's completely against it. Fuck, I would be too, if someone invited her to _my_ birthday party. She'll probably try to form a suicide pact with my dog. I mean, I get that her mom died, but that's no reason to kill yourself."

"Wow, I didn't know that. Her mom died? How?"

"Someone said her mom also killed herself, so mother like daughter guess. Makes sense, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, y'know."

It felt like I wasn't there, listening to the two girls gossip, acting like I was out of earshot.

"Is Natsu going? He hates Gray, but he wouldn't give up an excuse to party."

"Natsu? Hell yeah. That's like, the only reason I'm even going. Last time, some girl actually got with him, and she said he was the best. I want to try that little rumor for myself."

The other girl laughed silently, then said, "Save some for the rest of us, Sherry. Let's not be greedy now."

Their conversation dropped once the teacher began to tell us to pull out our Calculus textbooks and turn to page 170. I hadn't heard that Erza was planning to invite me, considering I've seen her once already, and she turned the other way. I wonder how that rumor came to be, and realized it was probably fake, along with all the other ones.

Class dragged on, and once it finally ended, I rushed to my locker.

"Wait! Lushi!" Someone shouted, causing me to stop. I turned around, and was face to face with the object of my fleeting thoughts.

"Hey, your name is Lushi, right?"

"Lucy."

"Huh?"

"Luuuuuu-Ceeeeee."

"Lushi."

"No, repeat after me…Luuuuuuu-Ceeeeeee."

"Anyway, there's something I wanted to talk to you about," Natsu's tan hand reach to scratch the back of his neck, while the people around us began slowly down. I noted we were in front of Ms. Strauss' office, and I could see her face pressed against the glass, watching our interaction.

"No, I won't do your writing essay for you," I huffed, and turned to leave, until I felt a warm hand on my bicep, surprisingly gentle and kind.

"No, uh, there's a party-a birthday party-and I want you to go. With me. To the party."

"With you?"

"With me," He confirmed. Here was this guy, with above average looks, and an amazing smile. We have talked once, and he explicitly said I was a freak, and we went our separate ways. And now, he's asking me out to a party full of people who hate my guts and think I'm a circus freak.

"Hell no," Was my intelligent answer.

 **End note: Hope you enjoyed this hot mess of a chapter (this entire story is a hot mess, gosh!) So there's more info. on the letter, and no one knows who wrote it! Who could it be? And why is Jellal being so…well, Jellal. And what is with Natsu asking out Lucy? I mean tbh if I was Natsu, I would've beeeeeeeeen doing that. Trust me, no one will be able to guess the answer, not yet anyway. It's not the cliché bet thing, just putting that out there right now. By the way, if you wrote a review, I'm very sorry, but I couldn't see it! It didn't show up. I was planning on responding to them at the end of my stories so my readers can see how kind and sweet you reviwers are, but sadly, that dream has been crushed. *moment of silence* Once again, thank you for reading and I hope you have a great day.**


	4. Double Checking

**Summary: The character that gets introduced is Angel! In so many fics, she's kinda Lisanna's replacement as the bad person who tries to steal Natsu, which makes more sense, but I don't feel like that grasps her actual character, who went through so much just so she can become an angel (in other words, "free" from her past) and I thought it was beautifully written, especially during the fight between her and Gray. So I decided to try my best to uphold that in a different way.**

 **Note: So yesterday I couldn't update because I was at a friend's house. I wasn't doing anything terribly important, but I got home late anyway so I just went to bed. Very sorry! But I did get some very nice reviews, which were pleasantly surprising. So thank you for all those that reviewed! They make my day, so yeah. By the way, this story does have a plot and stuff so it's not just random writing. I do have everything planned out (kinda) like where the letter came from, Lucy's mom, and all dat. So don't worry. Now onwards to chapter four. I hope you enjoy!**

DOUBLE CHECKING

"You said no when a cute boy asked you to a party? Who are you? Are you even a girl right now?"

"I don't know, let me check. Yep, yep that's a vagina. Wait…no, it's definitely a vagina."

"Are you sure? Y'know, it's good to double check."

"On exams, not gender!"

"And yet, you act like a male. It's a cute boy, Ms. Heartfilia! When else are you going to get asked out? And don't get me started on how you basically humiliated him!"

"Uhm, his hair is _pink._ He's done that for me already."

Ms. Strauss' eyebrow twitched at least five times before she spoke again. "Mr. Dragneel is such a nice kid, never gave me any problems. In fact, he regularly visits me in my office to say hello. Why didn't you say yes?"

"So?" I retorted, glancing away from her eyes to the poster of drug abuse behind her. "Listen, I'm sure he's my Gatsby and I'm his Daisy and all of that, but I'd rather be Myrtle right now."

"Dead? I mean you were half way there."

 _"_ _No!_ I meant never having to interact with him! The hell?!"

"I'm not supposed to tell you this, since any information about other students is completely confidential, but Mr. Dragneel had a terrible life and he's been through so much. Why not give him a chance? I'm sure you'll think he's great."

"Thanks for the advice, Ms. Strauss, but I think I'm alright for now," I simply said, grabbing my plain, purple backpack and slinging it over my shoulder. My Pandora bracelet, filled with multiple charms, glistened in under the fluorescent lights.

"Cute bracelet! How much was it?"

"Oh, seven hundred and fifty five."

"…"

I took that as my cue to leave, only barely hearing Ms. Strauss mutter something about spoiled rich kids. I flushed, feeling like the bracelet now weighed a hundred pounds. Her office was conveniently place in front of the most crowded hallway in school, since it was the nearest to the parking lot. I could already hear some whispers of my name, mostly having to do with my suicide or my dad's bank account.

Rich kids with nothing but fake friends, I guess.

"Hey, what's wrong? You seem down, Lu," Leave it to Levy to instantly know when I wasn't feeling my best. The air outside turned pretty, along with the golden and pink sky. Spring was showing its face after the brutal winter, and walking next to Levy felt amazing. But yet, I couldn't feel good.

"Do you think…do you think I did the right thing? By telling Natsu no?" There it was, out in the open. I had finally admitted it to Levy what plagued my mind after rejecting Natsu's offer to go to a party.

"Listen, Lu, you and I both know what they're like. They're mean people, as attractive as they are. And never, _ever_ feel bad about expressing your likes and dislikes. If you don't like Natsu or don't want to go to a party with him, that's fine. You should never feel bad about being honest, because if you lied and said yes, you wouldn't be the Lucy I know. Just because he's cute and boy doesn't mean you change who you are for him, or conform yourself to his likes. Be assertive and stand up for yourself, it's your life, no one else's. Your decisions equal your consequences that you have to deal with, no one else does."

Levy was right. She was extremely right. Why should I have to change myself or submit to him just because he's cute? If he wasn't attractive, no one would judge me for what I did. I know I wouldn't have a good time at that party anyway, since it's full of people that obviously didn't know me, only heard of me.

"You know what, Lev? You're right. You're absolutely right. Now, where are we going? Jeez, it feels like we've been walking for miles."

"Uhm, Lu, how would you feel if I told you we were going to the party where you didn't want to go to?"

 _"_ _WHAT? You did not just give a beautiful, feministic speech to do the same exact shit I didn't want to do. What the hell is wrong with you?"_

"Well, DMX is going to be there."

"So you agree."

"About what?"

"That his name is DMX."

Sighing, Levy rolled her eyes and continued to walk down the unfamiliar road. This was definitely on the other side of town, the more average one. While I lived near the heart of Magnolia, this place was around the outskirts.

"How do you even know he was going to this party?"

"I may or may not have heard him talk about it with Natsu. In the boy's locker room. While skipping class."

"Wait, those rooms are basically soundproof unless you- _oh Lord Almighty,_ do _not_ tell me you broke into the boy's locker room! That's disgusting…so how'd it look like?"

"Have you ever seen hell, Lu? Have you? You have not unless you've seen a used condom infected locker room."

"Wow, at least us girls have the decency to throw them away. Pigs."

"Right?!"

"So look who showed up." Natsu's voice was clipped and completely annoyed, even though I have been here for a total of ten minutes.

"Uh yeah," Guess that moment of bravery was gone as soon as it came. The party was surprisingly not like a music video. Yeah, there were people drinking, but they were drinking soda and there was no ass shaking. Mostly they were talking, wearing decent outfits and definitely not making out.

"What are you doing here? Thought you didn't want to come."

"I didn't."

"So why-"

"Did anyone tell you that you ask a lot of questions? Because you do," I took his moment of silence to judge Gray's house. It was actually extremely nice. The walls were sunset orange with a soft, pale yellow trimming. The couches were an ivory color, that matched with the orange and black drapes. There were paintings of boats and beaches against an evening sun. There was also a desktop computer and a dining table. There was also an open entrance to the kitchen, where I saw two women, one black haired and the other with blue hair. They were hovering over a white and blue cake, but I couldn't see any significant design on it.

"Having fun checking me out?" Natsu's voice slowly got my attention, and I didn't fully understand what he said until I realized that from another person's perspective, it did look like I was checking him out since he was standing in the direction of the kitchen.

"What? I was looking at the cake."

"Hm, sure you were."

"No, please, continue to feed your ego, it's obviously starving." When I looked around, I noticed Levy had disappeared once Natsu decided to invade my vicinity with his mess of self. I finally found her blue hair, standing at a corner with a Coke in her hand, looking like a puppet amongst a crowd of humans. It wasn't hard to tell that she was waiting for someone to talk to her, preferably DMX.

With a scoff, Natsu finally left, probably to join his negative IQ friends. I was ready to go to Levy, until I heard someone call out to me. Sitting on a couch, with her hands interlaced together, was a white haired girl with feathers in her hair. She had a sharp face and violet eyes with a storm in them. She also had white angel wings tattooed on her collarbones, which were visible with her V-neck. Once we made eye contact, she smiled, as if inviting me to sit with her.

I slowly approached the empty space besides her, noting no one else wanted to sit there. When I sat down, she instantly started talking.

"Was that Natsu Dragneel you were talking to?" Her voice was so kind, but so malicious at the same time. Strangely, it didn't feel like it was directed towards me.

"Uh, yeah."

"Hm," She hummed. "He's very unique. Every time I see him, I imagine him surrounded by flames and dragons. Don't you think so, Blonde Hair?"

What the fuck did I just get myself into?"

"Well, White Hair," To my surprise, the girl giggled at my nickname for her. "He does have pink hair. That's unique."

"No, no! That's not it. He's warm…like a fire! Nice and warm, that's what I meant, ok?"

When I didn't answer, she pressed on, "Like a fire. The big ones, too, not the furnace ones. The wildfires in forests kind."

Okay then.

"I'm sorry," the girl blushed. "I didn't even introduce myself. I'm Angel. What's your name?"

"I'm Lucy Heartfilia."

That sparked something in her. "Oh wow! I've heard so much about you. You're rich and ahhhhh. You attempted suicide! At least, that's what Midnight told me before he went to sleep."

"Midnight? Is he one of your friends?"

"Hm, I guess you could say that. I didn't know he existed, to be honest, until someone else told me. I kinda black out when he's near."

"You mean you zone out."

"Hm," The girl hummed again, and I desperately wanted to get away from this conversation. Midnight? What kind of name was that? And what did she mean by "blacking out"? What kind of weirdos did Gray know? She pushed her long with her behind her shoulder, and sighed. She seemed like she forgot I was here, because her attention started to waver, before she spoke again.

"He's looking at you, y'know. The fire boy. He seems…sad."

"I think that's just his face," I didn't want to look up and see if she was right. It made no difference to me if he was looking at me or not, my mind would stay clear and focused.

"Oh well. You might want to go now, I'm feeling dizzy. I hate to cut our conversation short, but Cobra isn't very nice, and Yukino won't like it if I get in trouble again."

"Right. Sorry. Well, it was nice meeting you, Angel. You seem sweet."

That brought a heart-warming smile to her face. "It was nice meeting you too, Natsu's girl."

I know I told this girl my real name. I know I did. _I'm positive._ So why did she feel the urge to call me Natsu's girl? Who the fuck do I look like?

And who is Cobra and Yukino? Are they friends of hers or am I just overthinking everything?

Once I stood up from the couch and left Angel to her own devices, I hadn't noticed that time ticked away slowly, and I had only been here for half an hour. Levy was still standing silently in her corner, a new Coke in her hands, but less stiff. Natsu had gone somewhere, and I also noticed the lack of absence of the Sherry girl that wanted to bang Natsu. Perhaps she got her wish? I evilly hoped that he turned her down.

I finally had reached Levy, only to see her disappointed face.

"Lu, is it bad that I've been staring at him for half an hour and he still hasn't noticed me? Am I just…invisible?"

"You're kind of short if that's what you mean."

"You're such an asshole. Anyway, where's the reject?"

"Gone. I have no idea where he went. We should just go home, this place is kinda boring. You'd think they'd have the decency to act like total sluts and give us a show, but no, they selfishly decided to be 'normal teenagers' or whatever."

"Are you ok?"

"No! I want to go home. I'm miserable here. My house has my computer and soft bed and servants. I want comfort."

"You're so spoiled," Levy sneered, and to be perfectly honest, that comment actually hurt. Usually our banter was harmless, but I could feel the insult behind that one. That's what I get for calling her short.

"Yeah, yeah, I'll call Capricorn to give us a ride home."

"Ohhhh, which car is it this one? The limo? No, that's too much, even for you. My bet is on the Lambo."

Such sarcasm, Jesus. "Yeah, I'll go on that bet. Let's bet four hundred dollars. That's reasonable, right?"

"You're terrible. Hurry up and-oh, hey Natsu…," Levy's voice went from her usual snarky tone to completely awkward. Her eyes shifted between us, as my heart started doing jumping jacks. When had he gotten here?! Do this guy not know how to be consistent?

"I can take you guys home."

Oh hell no. There's no way I'm letting a guy I barely know, nevertheless barely like, drive me home with the possibility of getting kidnapped and becoming a sex slave. What if he's secretly a serial killer who has a fascination with weird people? Levy and I are weird as hell! I'm socially unstable and Levy is into guys that look like the personification of metal songs. I'm too inexperienced and naïve to die. There's no way I'm doing it, no.

"Before you say no," Natsu started. Wow was my face _that_ obvious? Eh, honesty is the best policy, amirite? "I'm not going to do anything. I just want to spend some time you, is all. You guys. Together. Both of you."

Nice save there, Rico Suave.

"Why not? It'll be fun, right? _Lu-chan,"_ Levy smirked, using the stupid nickname she gave me once she found out that I took Japanese as a child but was completely stumped when someone used an honorific, causing Levy to believe I was a complete liar and therefore, she used that damn "chan" every time she wanted to make my life like a three hour infomertial.

"Y'know, there's this thing called uh, _consent._ Let's all just keep that in mind, young folks. Don't want to go to big, scary jail now, right?"

"Did you just call me a rapist?" Natsu said at the same time Levy asked, "Did you just call Natsu a rapist?"

"No, I called Levy a rapist. Way to be sexist, you stereotypical jerks. Guys have feelings too!"

"I _am_ a guy!"

"Hm, did you double check?"

 _"_ _This is where you live?"_ Is the usual reaction to the Heartfilia home. Like I said before, it's considerably smaller than our old house, but still big enough to drop some jaws. It was very pretty on the outside, with a castle like design. Ironically, my room just happened to be the only one in one of the two surrounding towers, giving off a "princess" vibe.

"Holy shit, you're loaded. How much does your dad make?"

"Forty-two cents and a bag of jelly beans."

"I'm going to ignore that," Natsu scoffed, gripping the driving wheel tightly. I wasn't surprised to see the crimson red pick-up truck he was sporting. It oddly fit him, and it was actually well kept. The only thing that caught my eye was the dangling fairy hanging from the roof. It matched the color of his car, and it was weirdly feminine for someone like him, but I refrained from asking.

"He makes a lot of money. He owns roads and buses and things of that nature. By the way, are you ok? You seemed kinda sick on the way here…"

"Oh, it's motion-sickness. It's uh, embarrassing, I know, but it's easier when I'm driving. Makes me focus and not think about it so much."

I was surprised he shared that with me, since I had a feeling that he was a secluded person. I have heard my fair share of rumors about him, how he would constantly burn things down, or that he slashed tires, or that he threatened two middle school boys with a knife. There were positive ones, too, but not as constant.

"Oh. Well, thanks for the ride. I'm sorry, it was far from Levy's house. I can pay for gas money." Before I even finished my sentence, he waved my offer off, even when I eyed the almost empty tank meter.

"It's fine. Have a good night." His voice was soft and almost scared. Nervous maybe?

"Yeah, you too." I thought the conversation was over, but when I grasped the door handle, his voice stopped me.

"Why did you say no?"

"Because…I didn't want to go. That's why." I knew that answer didn't satisfy him, and that was fine by me.

If I lived my life to satisfy people, I would have much more than two friends and a boyfriend. But that's not who I am. I live for myself, not anyone else.

"You still went."

"Yeah, so?"

"So you did want to go."

Finally, I groaned. "I didn't want to go, Levy did. I ended up talking to some weird girl named Angel."

"Angel? You actually talked to her?"

"Yeah? Why?"

Our eyes met.

"She has some mental disorder. Gray was telling me about it."

"To be honest, most of us do. We just choose to hide them."

 **End note: Yeah I'm terrible for ending it like that! I'm extremely sorry for the late update, but I'll try my hardest to update tomorrow. Please don't think I've forgotten about Lucy's letter, it'll come up very soon, you'll see. I added a little splash of Nalu there, for your pleasure. I actually more reviews and followers than I expected, which was a nice thing to come home to after having to listen to our entire senior class talk about where they were going to after high school. Sigh. It was very corny. Next chapter, there will a** ** _ton_** **of Nalu, just not at all how you expect it! (There was also a ton of foreshadowing, did you catch it?) And also, what do you guys think is Angel's mental disorder?**

 **REVIEW REPLIES (I can finally do this! I'm ready):**

 **LordDeuce (LOL "hell no" xD keep up the good work)**

 ** _Thank you very much! I'm glad it made you laugh. I was going to have her simply just say no, but go big or go home._**

 **its-somethingblue (Jellal gives me the creeps hahahaha okay, I am really liking your story)**

 ** _Haha, he's meant to be that way! There is a reason for his actions (there was a very small foreshadowing in his story that chapter. In fact, I tried to make his story sound similar to his and Erza's past in the R-System)_**

 **Guest (This is like so LOL! I'm laughing so hard! Please update. FAST!)**

 ** _I'm extremely happy to see that you're laughing. Laughter is the best medicine of course! I hope my updating time is fast enough, and never be shy to tell me if I'm being slow! I really don't mind the "update" comments, as long as it's reasonable and yours is very nice._**

 **KaUiA (I love this so much. I can almost see Natsu chasing after Lucy just to get her to say yes. I also love the way you explained Lucy's luck. It fits the story perfectly. I love the humor. I'm curious this "Awkward" show. Do you recommend I watch it? It sounds fun. Do continue! Though you say, it has no direction, I love the pace. It got me all excited. Will we be seeing more Natsu and Lucy interaction? I can't wait!)**

 ** _Wow, this is so long! I love it soooo much, you're an amazing person for writing this. It's very, very sweet and you're just so awesome. There is going to be a chapter where he kinda tells the entire beginning in his point of view, so you'll get the chasing scene there. Lucy just brushed it off. Yes, you should watch the Awkward show. Warning, it does have sexual content and stuff, in case you're iffy about that. It's also very different than my story, but it's still very good. It inspired me to make this story be just as comedic as it is sappy. Yes, you will be seeing much, much more of their interactions, although not all of them romantic and sweet._**

 **Guest (This is cool. Keep it up!)**

 ** _Short, simple, and to the point. I like it. I'm glad you're enjoying it._**

 **sarara1-8 (I find this whole set-up extremly interesting and I'm so excited for more)**

 _ **Thank you! I'll make sure to try my hardest to keep you interested.**_


	5. Dear Lisanna

**Summary: This chapter is split off into two parts. The first part is basically revealing how Levy, Lucy, and Lisanna became friends, and also some of Lisanna's history with Natsu. There's also more hints towards the letter, which I haven't forgotten about. The second part is more Natsu x Lucy, and hints as to why Natsu is interested in Lucy.**

 **Note: I know I haven't updated in quite a while, but finals are this week. Not that I care that much about school, haha, but my teachers are still persistent so yeah. I decided that instead of studying for my World Cultures final (which I will do later, I swear!) I'm going to update a chapter of Awkward. I have gotten some very sweet reviews, which I'm excited to share with you guys in the end note. As always, reviews are appreciated, but definitely not mandatory. I write when I feel inspired…like now, not when I get reviews. Without any further ado, here's the next chapter.**

DEAR LISANNA

"Do you remember how we all became friends?"

The question threw me off guard for a second. I had expected Lisanna to say something so sappy, but not Levy. Levy was the short, tempered type. Of course, that's not to say she had her sweet moments…I mean I haven't see her be sweet, but I'm sure it's happened. Sometime somewhere.

We were all in my townhouse, in my room. It was messy, with clothes on the vanity and make up smudged on the walls. It still had memories of my middle school phase, where my snobiness was at an epitome. The white walls and gold trims, with a chandelier made of fake, sparkling diamonds. My sneakers were lying carelessly next to a full body mannequin that I had used to plan out my outfits the day before. I was one of those types of rich people, yes.

"Uh yeah. I think? Levy, you and I met during our Honors English class, back when y'know Honors was a privilege, not a burden placed upon our vulnerable souls. You sat behind me and pulled on my hair, asking what conditioner I used."

"You told me you used cow piss."

"Ha, no. I use Alter Ego from Italy. Although…hm…cow piss…"

"Lucy…noooooo…Lucy…stop!" Levy frowned at me from the couch that was strategically placed in from of my bed that I was laying on. Lisanna opted for the floor, saying the fluffy carpet felt like "angel baby fur". "Anyway, I ended up making a snarky comment and you said one back, and BOOM!" Levy made a huge clapping noise with her hands. "Friendship babies. Friendship babies everywhere."

"And then two days later you talked about this hot boy with more piercings that IQ points, and I stole his iPod…the rest is history. It was the shitty playlist heard around the world! Why, it was the major cause of the revolutionary war. Us normal American children wanted to listen to some Lana Del Rey, but alas! The DMXers were forcing tyranny on us by making us listen to Where the Hood at."

"I'm so tired of your attitude, you don't understand. You don't. It's far too complex for your simplistic brain to understand the depth of normal, human conversation." Well shit, she got me there. Lisanna sighed, not looking the least bit amused that we were basically forcing her out of the conversation. I felt bad, of course. It seemed that it was often that Lisanna was left out of mine and Levy's conversation, since she never wanted to take part in our roasting session.

"How about how you and I met, Lucy? Remember? I was alone for a couple of months, and Mira bought me some new earrings. You stopped me after gym to tell me they were nice, but I lost one of them. And for some odd reason, you helped me look around the gymnasium to find them. When I couldn't find it, I started crying and you instantly started telling me to suck it up, and that it was just an earring. The very next day though, you bought me a similar, but more expensive pair. I asked you why and you said…"

I finished for her. "I said because your old ones were fake gold, and real silver would look better. I was a bit of a show off with dad's money, I guess. Eighth grade memories, am I right?"

"I don't think you were showing off to be impressive, Lucy, I think you just wanted friends. It must've been hard to move right after your mom's death, and the people that left you after you refused to keep buying them stuff must've not helped. I know the feeling," Lisanna murmured, her clear pools of blue drifting off into a blank space. Lisanna would usually say things like that, teasing us about her past, and just simply staying quite afterwards. It's not like Levy and I didn't pry, because Lord is the witness that we did. Too much, in fact. We constantly kept asking her about Natsu and the others, only to be brushed off or given the Antarctic shoulder.

"Lis…I know Lucy and I keep asking about this-mostly Lucy-but…what happened between you and Natsu? You guys were close all through out elementary school until a couple of months after Lucy came. One day you guys were close…then the next, it was like you never even knew each other," Levy said, her bluntness seeping through. This was my first ever witness of a somewhat sweet Levy moment, and I paused to process it a little before I began to speak, only to be cut off by Lisanna herself.

"It's…complicated. It feels weird, starting high school without him, but it was necessary. We weren't good for each other, it was just a toxic friendship. We were extremely close as kids, I mean I thought about marrying the guy! But…we grew up…well, I grew up. I stopped wanting to play Mortal Kombat and wanted to start kissing guys, and Natsu…wasn't happy. He kept telling me to wait for him, that he and I would eventually get together but uh, I didn't want him. I mean, I did, but I was all about instant gratification, and suddenly a year passed by.

"I did stop dating other guys, I swear! Then…Natsu decided that I wasn't enough, and he kissed someone else one day. I don't remember who she was, but it was kinda easy to narrow her down. Erza would've pummeled him, Gray would've slaughtered him, and the only other person was Cana…I mean, I think. We did talk about it, and I pretended to be cool with it. One day, he just wrote me a letter, explaning his feelings towards me. He said…he said he doesn't know if it's love, or whatever, but he cared about me. I-I-I ripped up the letter in front of him, while laughing. I laughed! In front of Gray and Erza, too. Gray laughed too, I think he felt guilty about it later on, but Erza just stayed silent. There was much more complicated stuff, but I'm not ready to talk about it."

Holy shit. More complicated stuff? What type of childhood did this poor thing have? Oh my holy macaroni, I'm was not ready to hear this. I wasn't ready! My mind was not mentally prepared to hear about how Lisanna basically destroyed this guy's heart. Justified, sure, but goddamn this is like a scandal all on it's own. Sweet little Lisanna? The same person who kept my hamster alive for a whole year? The same person who stayed behind in class to help the teachers?

"Well…that's a thing, right? That was, ahem, definitely a thing…that happened. Wow. So, anyone want some bagels or something?" Don't make this awkward or anything Levy. And I don't even have bagels! Croissants, possibly, but not bagels. Don't act like you know my fridge, hoe.

"Uhm, so explain to me when I went magically shopping and magically bought bagels because I clearly have none in my house. I don't have bagels, why would you offer something that's not here? Think of the children, Levy!"

"Lucy, shut up! Our friend just said something so emotionally scarring, and you want to talk about how you don't have bagels? You have no heart, I swear to Gawd!"

"First, I obviously have a heart, as it is beating right now, you uncultured swine. And second, you're the one who brought up the bagels in the first place! You made it awkward, not me! Don't hate, Lev, it's not cool. Why not…Party Up instead?"

"I HATE YOU LUCY HEARTFILIA!"

Amidst of her yelling, Levy didn't notice that Lisanna had started laughing loudly at both of us. Her face was cherry red, and a real smile took over her face.

"Lucy! Please keep it down! I'm attempting to work, so you won't end up in the streets, homeless, and wearing Abercrombie and Fitch! Now keep it down, I'm in the middle of doing very important things!"

"I wear Abercrombie and Fitch," Said Levy, sadly. "And wait…is that the theme song to Breaking Bad?"

Important work stuff my ass.

Everyone remembers how I said I had my mother's luck? Why, it seems to activate whenever I really didn't want it to. Which is why I was stuck after school, spending my precious Pretty Little Liars time helping out my Calculus teacher (Anyone else think Ms. Aquarius has something against me? No? Just me? Okay) with none other than Natsu Dragneel. Reason why? I actually passed my Calculus test with a high ninety, while Natsu got a solid C. The problem arose, however, when Ms. Aquarius demanded (no, not asked politely, this bitch demanded) that I help her grade the rest of the quizzes as my punishment for texting Levy about why I wanted a pet deer for my birthday.

"Since you obviously seem to know this material according to your last quiz grade, you can help me grade the rest of the quizzes after school. That isn't a request either," Was Ms. Aquarius' reasoning. No wonder our music teacher, Mr. Scorpio, hasn't asked to marry her yet. I wouldn't propose to such a beast either, no matter what Belle taught me as a kid. No amount of free gifts at the wedding is worth wanting to drink bleach every day.

Natsu was punished later on in the day, since we didn't have Calculus together. He apparently threw a pencil into the celling, which was stuck there until Ms. Aquarius decided to stand right under it and yell extremely loudly, causing the pencil to fall right into her head. She freaked out so fast the Devil would've been proud. So in turn, he was given the task to grade papers with me.

Which brings me to my other problem. Mr. Scorpio couldn't wait until after school, because he called Ms. Aquarius and asked her in a sultry voice to help him "put back the guitars." Natus and I both knew that the B minor wasn't the only thing being fingered…

So now Natsu and I were alone, in a classroom. By ourselves. Not adult supervision. Hm, and they wonder why teenage pregnancy happens. Stupid morons.

"Lucy, right?" Natsu asked, as if he didn't know my name nor my address. As if we didn't have a mini dramatic moment. How dare he, it took a lot for me to think of those comebacks!

"Yep. Lucy. Of the Heartfilia family. How may I serve you?"

"Hm, well you can suck my-"

"Finish that sentence, I dare you. I seriously dare you to finish what you were about to say, because trust me, there won't be anything for me to suck on."

"Jeez, alright, calm down, you weirdo. I was just playing around. Are you always this feisty?"

"Only like every single day. Trust me, this situation isn't special at all."

It was so strange to talk to Natsu, even more than before. Before it was just the simple fact that I didn't know him and I wasn't interested in knowing him. But now all I can imagine is a shorter, younger version of Natsu staring a rip shreds of a letter that held his heart…

"Oh, really? You're always this mean?"

"Let's not start labeling people, now. I prefer honest."

"Someone once told me," Started Natsu, beginning to start fiddling with Ms. Aquarius' desk, before finally being satisfied with playing around with a small statue of a golden key. He caressed the top of it that resembled a vase. "That there's a difference between honesty and being mean. Some people are mean, and justify as honest because they don't want to deal with the consequences."

Rip out my heart why don't you?

"That person must've been smart then," I simply retorted. I had a feeling that this conversation was taking a dangerous turn.

"Why did you say no? When I asked you to the party?"

Whoop there it is!

"I didn't know you, and I didn't feel comfortable with going with someone I didn't know. That's the honest truth."

"It's funny, cause I thought you were different. I mean, I thought we were similar, but we're not, I guess."

What the fuck did he mean by that? We're both humans…with similar internal organs…plus, we're both being forced to grade papers right now. If anything, we're like twins.

"Oh? Why did you think we were similar, Natsu?"

"Just something I heard. I shouldn't have believed the rumors, but I did. Anyway, it's five and I think I should go. Finish the rest for me, then? Please?"

Uh, no. It's not five, it's four twenty six, and there's still a stack of papers before me that look like the motherfucking Empire State Building. I do not remember buying a plane ticket to New York City, but yet, I'm being facing the paper replica of the famous building.

But before I could even protest, he was literally half way out of the door, not before turning back, and giving me a strange smile. "See you around, Miss Lucy. Actually, why don't we hang out soon?"

And then he was gone, leaving with any knowledge I had of the male gender.

 **End note: Yeah this chapter isn't as funny as the other ones, more serious. Now that you heard Lisanna's side of the story, what do you guys think? Remember, we haven't heard Natsu's side of the story yet, and you know what they say. There's three sides to a story…one side…the other…and the truth. So please keep that in mind! There were hints towards the letter, but not that big. Yes, it still hasn't been brought up, but like I said, it's for a reason. I'm very sorry this update is late, I've been going through some weird things with my family right now and finals week, of course. Now, onto the reviews!**

 **AnonBanon** **(Loving everyone's characterisation (don't worry, they.'re not too OOC - it's perfect)! The way you make Levy and Lucy's friendship is perfect; and honestly this story is coming along really well (JELLAL! Oh Lord this would totally be him - he'd probably also write dark poetry XD). And that last line got me! Having just read through all 3 chapters, as far as I'm concerned you're doing a great job - don't get disheartened by lack of reviews, they will come in time (also, amazingly quick updates - 3 chapters in 3 days? I cannot comprehend...). Keep up the amazing work!)**

 _Another long review? Whaaaaa? Anyway, props on the name, very cute! Thank you so much for saying that about their characters, I tried so hard to make sure they were kinda the same, but that they fit in a modern setting. Since in this story, Lucy doesn't run away, she's a bit more snobby that FT!Lucy. Haha, how'd you know Jellal writes dark poetry? Point for you for the prediction! I'm very glad to know I support from someone so sweet and kind! You may change your mind, seeing that I haven't update in forever, lol. Once again, thank you very much!_

 **Ksqu4rd** **(I'm loving this story and how you're using the characters so far! I'm excited to read what you have coming next! :)**

 _Thank you! I'm extremely glad you love it! I think you'll like this chapter, but it's nothing compared to the ones that are happening soon. Can I just say that I had a dork moment and tried to pronounce your username in my head?_

 **PlatinumFairy (Ahh this story is funny and interesting! Can't wait for more :D)**

 _Thank you very much! I hope I didn't disappoint with the humor this chapter! You're very nice, and your profile picture is everything._

 **KaUiA (Thanks! You're every sweet. I love it! Seems like Natsu really wants to get to know Lucy. I see a lot of Natsu chasing Lucy. And it doesn't help that Lucy just doesn't want to have anything to do with Natsu. I think I'll check out this show when I have time!)**

 _Wow, thank you! Can I just say that you're so perfect for reviewing twice? Your review always makes my day when I read it. There's going to be plenty, but not this chapter. Haha, no she doesn't. That may change eventually. You should! It's much better than my depiction of it, I promise!_

 **Guest (Hey, this is cool. Please don't make all the others really horrible. And thank you thank you thank you for making Lucy and Lisanna friends! I hate it when Lisanna's portrayed badly, she's so sweet (still a Nalu shipper though!)**

 _Thank you! I'll try my very hardest not to make them horrible, haha. No problem, I personally love Lisanna, she's such a cutie. And I don't see her as a threat to the Nalu ship at all, and even if she was, she's so kind that it wouldn't matter. Especially since her and Lucy are actually good friends in FT, so I wanted to portray that into my story._

 **Mikazuki-Mitsukai (I love this Lucy. She's so fun, I'd love to be her friend. Weirdos must stick together!**

 **And I couldn't help but cackle at that rapist comment, LOL!)**

 _I really wanted to write Lucy's fun, sassy side, rather than the typical side I see in stories. I'm sure you guys would be awesome friends! Haha, seems Natsu agrees with the werido comment. Glad it made you laugh, it was based on a true experience._

Guest (You are such an amazing writer! Keep it up!)

 _Thank you very much! I'll try hard to update faster and better for you!_

 _ ***I didn't say this last chapter, but I uploaded the reviewers username, so you can follow them if you like! They're all amazing, adorable people that I adore***_


	6. Michelle's Tears

Summary: Lucy's letter is beginning to raise questions, when an old family friend joins the party. Now everyone is being accused, but there's the question of the past, the letter, and who is truly lying to your face. And why. Fair warning, it's a little less humorous than my previous chapters.

Note: So the previous chapters were basically an exposition to this one. After this, everything becomes crazy. There's the introduction to Michelle, from Key of The Starry Heavens (favorite filler arc, btw). When I was thinking about her character, I was torn between Imitatia Michelle or the "fake" Michelle. You'll see which one I went with, haha. Anyway, I haven't updated in a while mostly because once the weekend came, I was forced to go New York, then Conneticut before I finally came back home, so I'm very sorry for not updating! The End Note is gonna have a bit of a rant in it, so please feel free to skip it if you don't like it. Enjoy the chapter! Btw, it's going to be short.

Michelle's Tears

I'm almost positive that if you lived with a similar family structure that I did, you grew up extremely lonely. My dad's side of the family was isolated until my dad began making millions. They crawled on our estate for months, until they realized they couldn't suck out of my dad's bank account. My mom, on the other hand, was an only child. I grew up with virtually no friends, except for the servants that waited hand and foot for me. That was until Michelle came along.

I remember with vague and strange details. It was one of my birthdays when my mom was still alive, and that was when I had gotten Michelle. It's messed up to sound her like an object, I know, but that was how she was presented to me. The little details I never remembered, like the color of the cake or the other presents, but I clearly remembered the blue dressed girl. The dress that I never wore because I never liked it, so my mom must've given it away. At the time, I didn't understand what that meant, until much later.

"Lucy," My mom began in her 'listen carefully' tone that I hated as a child. Oh how I wish I could hear it now. "This little girl is Michelle. She's going to be your little sister, so treat her carefully, ok?"

I had always wanted a little sister, always. She wasn't my actual biological sister, of course not. She was one of the servant's daughter who was, according to my dad when I asked him years later, going through some difficult times. My mom, being well…my mom, felt sorry for her and helped out in any way she could. My mom was different than most rich people of her time, very different than me at times. She had grace that my grandmother taught her, even though they were poor growing up. She had experience of a tough life that I couldn't begin to imagine living inside huge palaces, begin served and never truly giving back. Which was why Michelle was never a surprise to me.

From that day forward, Michelle became my best friend, my only real friend. She'd sleep in my room, share my clothes, and was treated to the same exact lifestyle I was treated to. I was too entranced in having an actual friend to be jealous of her swooping in and "taking my life." I had someone to share my deepest secrets with. I told how I was scared that my mommy was going to die, or that daddy yells a lot more than before. I even told her my exact wedding plans, with a white and pink color theme, and a wedding cake decorated by stars. That, once I was explained that my mom can't be the maid of honor, that Michelle would take her place. We were inseparable. Until my mom died.

That hit me hard, especially since it was during my middle school years. I instantly went from caring about other people, to only being concerned with myself. How was I going to deal with her losing? It was only about me and me alone. I lost her, not anyone else. I wasn't worried about my dad, or my mom's friend, or even Michelle, who looked at her like a second mom. I kept some old things about myself, but my view of the world changed completely. I isolated myself, especially from Michelle and my father. I wanted to grieve alone. I never valued her. In fact, until a couple of months ago, I never even realized that.

She was taken away less than a month after my mother died. My dad fired a lot of servants, because we were moving away from the estate to a townhouse in Outskirt Magnolia, or in other words, Upstate New York, if a comparison was needed. Michelle's mom was one of them. Even though my dad emphasized that Michelle and her mom were going through a lot at the time, he still fired her. In his rare vulnerable times, he admitted it was bad on his part, but never truly apologized.

"It's too late now, Lucy," He'd tell me. And I agreed. It was too late. Or so I thought.

I've said many times before, and I'll say it again. I have my mother's luck. So it's obvious that when the rumors of a new family moving in soon, it would be Michelle. And that regardless of the years that passed, she'd still recognize me. Thanks Mom…thanks a lot.

"Oh my stars, that can't be little Miss Lucy Heartfilia," Oh God no. Ok God, listen. I know I haven't gone to church since my mother's funeral and Aunt Junelle's wedding, but I am willing to go actively for say…four months if you somehow make Michelle's mom go away. Yes, I know, it's Walmart and it's open to the public and all, but temporary amnesia doesn't cause permanent brain damage, right? So please, God, I'm begging you. Please!

"Why it is! What are you doing here? Last I spoke to Jude, he told me he moved all the way to the outskirts of Magnolia, with the rich folk. It's quite far." Michelle's mom quickly moved away from the Top Ramen Noodles and other cup noodle varieties to my little section. She had not changed a bit. While Michelle, as a kid, loved keeping her hair long, Michelle's mom cut it most of it off in favor of a bob. She still had her youthful face. Actually, for a parent, she was quite young. I noticed quickly she was alone, and thanked God for at least that.

"Hey, how are you doing?" I replied politely once she was close enough to speak to properly. I felt instantly uncomfortable. She was right, this particular Walmart was quite far, but it was the closet to Natsu's quaint little home. You might be wondering why I'm in Walmart at 5:42 in the afternoon with Natsu, who I lost at the kid's toy section, and it's actually a cute story. Well it turns out for Creative Writing, we just so had a partner assignment to write about classical poetry. Erza and Gray grouped together (it only took two threats and a punch to the face) while Natsu was left awkwardly standing until the teacher felt sorry enough for both of us to group us together. Nothing says popular than being asked if you have a partner than saying no. Well anyway, since neither of us (that means Natsu) cares about school enough to have poster board laying around, we decided to buy some. Also, he insisted this project was to be done at his house, and if he hadn't mentioned that he had Rocky Road ice cream I would've rape whistled his ass ages ago.

So now I am faced with overwhelming guild and regret…and no Natsu.

"I'm fine! Wow, you look just like Layla! You got'er eyes, even that lil' polite voice of hers. You look like a doll! Now, you have to see Michelle. She's been asking all over for ya. Poor thing was so sad when your momma died, she kept asking, 'Where is big sister Lucy?' You know she loves calling you big sister," Michelle's mom laughed, and I instantly noticed that her sleeve rode up, and noticed needle induced shots scattered over her arm. Her wrist was shaking when she pulled it down.

"Uh, it's been such a long time, but I'm sure it'll be great catching up with her. I've missed you both so much," I replied stiffly, but Michelle's mom didn't notice at all. In fact, she seemed overjoyed at what I said, and I wondered how much I've missed in the past two to three years.

"She would love to get a friend! I'm sure you two will be great, just like sisters. Y'know, your mom always loved Michelle like a daughter," Is that bitterness I'm picking up on? "It was so sweet. You guys were the cutest little things, always runnin' around, stirring up trouble. Well, I gotta go, but please do call me sometime, won't cha, little doll?"

"Little doll" was actually my mom's nickname for Michelle, which was way cuter than Lucky Lucy. It seemed to me that Michelle's mom, whose name I never really picked up on, didn't appreciate it at all. She actually seemed against our little family when Michelle was around, and I wasn't exactly sure why.

"Of course…" I trailed off, hinting that I forgot her name. Rude, yes. Did I care? Not right now, but maybe in the later future when I get one of my "I hate myself moods".

"Call me Lucille."

Well goddamn, if that didn't fuck me up.

"Lucy? Um, what's going on?" Natsu's voice questioned behind me. Turning around, I saw him having a small smile on his face while holding my specifically requested pink poster board ("It's not girly, Natsu! And you even have pink hair, what the hell are you complaining about, ya hypocrite?") and like a life time supply of gluesticks, glitter glue, and scissors. There was even a mini trail behind him, making it look like he was trying to capture kindergarten teachers or something.

"Oh sorry I was talking to uh," But once I turned back around, Lucille was gone, like a strange nightmare.

Natsu and I actually managed to finish the project in his living room. It was a nice house, all things considered. The living room was full of warm, odd colors. It certainly didn't match, but the warmth that the house exuded was everywhere. The smell of sweet vanilla and ash was constant, and it actually didn't smell bad. His kitchen was the next room over, with turquoise and green as its dominant colors. I didn't get to see any other rooms, because he made sure we stayed in his living room. He didn't say anything, but it was implied that upstairs was prohibited.

It was mostly awkward silence, with him making the odd comment about certain parts of the poem. It was nearing six, and as it got later, he became more desperate to talk to me. Well, at least that's how it felt to me. His house was actually empty when I came, and even after we left Walmart. I was surprised, and when I asked him about it, he explained that they were at his little sister's ballet recital. That completely surprised me, but what surprised me more were the two cats that loitered around. Both were white, one with a strange blue hue to it, though. Natsu, with pink cheeks, admitted that its name was Happy, and the other one with the bow on its tail was Charle.

Happy was extremely friendly, although at times he did prick my skin with his claws when I accidentally stopped petting him. Charle didn't want me near her at all, and just crawled back to her princess bed. Natsu just wanted Happy and I interact in silence, although he had a strange smile on his face.

I did eventually leave, but what happened caught me by surprise. Out of my from his front door, he actually kissed my cheek instead of saying goodbye.

Does he…like me?

"Big sister Lucy? Is that you?"

Once I quickly left Natsu's house (thank God), I decided to make good on my promise to Lucille. I demanded to have her cellphone number, and once I did, I set up a date to see Michelle. They lived in an apartment complex, sadly only blocks away from Natsu's home. It was nasty to look at, gray and overgrown. Making my way in was the actual problem. Lucille never told me the apartment number, so I knocked in almost every single door except for two others. One was playing some loud, terrible music (was that Up in Here?) and the other had loud arguing. So I went with the third option, and was met by none other than Michelle herself. She was wearing a long, pink dress with white trims on the bottom and an apron. She had her long, dirty blond hair was always and a huge smile.

"Wow, it is you, big sister Lucy! I'm so ha-ha-happy! Wah!" And she began bawling. Like actual tears came out of her eyes sockets and just splashed her surrounding area. Okay then.

"Hey, Michelle! What's up? It's been such a long ti-woah!" Before I could finish what I was saying, I was pulled into a tight hug by Michelle, who crushed my internal organs. Goodbye, liver. We were friends for many, many years. It's cruel for it to end this way, but perhaps it's for the best.

And I did really deserve it. Michelle was my only childhood friend, and I refused to keep in touch with her because at first, I pretended to be too cool/too busy with spending all of my dad's cash, then it was because I either kept forgetting or felt way too guilty. Out of convenience (and selfishness) I decided to just go with the flow.

"I missed you so much! Oh, we have so much to talk to about! I'm so excited!"

Oh no. OH NO. And that's, to be perfectly honest, when it hit me. Not only was I never given any Rocky Road ice cream, I also realized that Michelle's apartment was completely trashed.

End note: If you simply came here for the chapter, feel completely free to skip this end note. It's not going to talk about much that relates to the chapter. I'm still replying to the reviews at the end, so if you want to read that, just skip over this. I am going to rant right now, so that's why. Basically, I've had a bone to pick for a very, very long time. While this is my first Fairy Tail Fanfiction, it's not my first Fanfiction ever. I wanted to be a writer ever since I was very young, so I wrote about little adventures that would happen if I was in my favorite shows as a kid. They were pretty bad, and I'm not saying my recent ones are spectacular. This story, like I said, was mostly for personal fun and to dive within a genre that was completely different than what I usually write. I write dark stories, never anything funny, ever. Which is why the support and kind words from my readers completely baffled me. I was used to people liking the dark things I wrote, never anything positive. That's sort of where the problem lies, however, in the support thing. I've never gotten anything mean personally, but I've seen other mean comments ("flames"). It's very, very, very easy to flame someone and never get caught. In fact, many of you can go down into my reviewer page and flame me right now and I will never know who you are because of the Guest thing. Now for those who do guest review, there's nothing wrong with it at all, it just bothers me when it's used negatively. If there's something actually wrong with the story (grammar problems, bad spelling, no plot), I understand, because I get frustrated with those kinds of stories too. But there's nicer way to say things. Just keep that in mind.

Well, all in all, I hoped you enjoyed the chapter! Very short, I know, but the conflict is arising. The opening incident was kinda already happened, so we're in the "rising action", which we're going to be in for a very, very long time. The climax is going to be very interesting, I hope. Now onto the reviews!

 **FairyTailChick44 (I love this! The humor is sassy and very Levy vs Lucy~! Not to mention that there is... Oh I dunno... A ton of it! I'm not usually the "laugh out loud to online stuff" type of person but this had me in stitches. I love the way Natsu and Lucy are getting to know each other and how each character enters the story somewhat gradually so they can be properly introduced. I also love how you've decided that instead of the reoccurring role Lisanna plays in other stories, you've given the readers and entirely different take on her. Kay I sound old but I'm actually 16. Dun judge. Anyways, I love your writing style and you're extremely witty. I am quite enjoying the story and hope you will update soon!)**

 _Aw, thank you so, so much! I personally love Levy as a character and her dynamic with Lucy. My story portrays them differently, but I'm so glad you love it. I'm so glad you think that way, because that's how the story is going. I didn't want to bombard with a bunch of characters at once, so I'm very glad that you realized it! I love Lisanna to death and really wanted to give shine to her character, so once again, thank you! I try very hard to make sure the story is enjoyable, easy, and fun to read. Wow, you're 16? So am I! I hope you enjoyed this update!_

 **UnbalancedSoul (Its also been said that the truth is relative, pending on the teller, the listener, and the story itself. ;)**

 **Seriously though, I'm seriously enjoying this story. While I believe Levy is extremely OOC compared to the series, how you've written her, much more confident I mean, makes me not care.**

 **I also get that feeling from Natsu as well, which is a bit more bothersome, but that also could be just lack of focus on him compared to the main triad. Idk, but it just feels like he isn't as carefree as he should be, when that's his character: a happy-go-lucky attitude covers some of his inner secrets. I don't get enough of that, not so much the inner turmoil part, but the face-attitude. To be honest, he seems depressed half the time. Its not enough to just say he is a smiling prankster. Show it with dialogue and action. Maybe I'm getting the wrong idea, maybe I'm looking way to deep into this (wouldn't be the first time).)**

*btw, I broke your review into two parts, sorry* Wow, I love the long review! Thank you so much! Yeah, she is OOC, but I tried to keep some similar aspects. Since the story is going to drag out a bit, there's going to be more development for her. For now, I actually watched one of the Fairy Tail OVA (4, I believe) and saw how Lucy and Levy teased each other, and decided to go with that aspect of the friendship to add to the humor. With the Natsu part. I don't want to say much without giving things away, but his story is a bit…darker compared to the flow of the story, so I didn't want to mess up the light atmosphere that is Lucy's head and confused the reader with Natsu's darker environment. He is OOC now, but like I said, there's also going to be development on him later as well. I hope this helped you and shed some light on the situation.

 **UnbalancedSoul (Also, for the record, these are nitpicky complaints. There are plenty of things I truely enjoy about this, like the interactions of Lucy, Levy, and Lisanna, the whole tone of the story, and how well you've done your worldbuilding through the style you've chosen, which is to say through the mind of Lucy, and therefore opinionated as all hell. The point is the good outweighs the bad, so don't get the wrong idea (unless you didn't, in which case: great, I've seen some that have when I nitpick, so I figured I'd cover my bases, ya know?)**

 _I must admit, when I first read your review, I was surprised when you called them nitpicky. I enjoyed reading both of them, and thought they sounded excellent and I love clearing things up. I'm so glad you enjoy their interactions, because there is going to be plenty in the next chapter. I felt as though Lucy is a very opinionated person not just in my story, but in the manga. She literally says what she thinks, and I wanted that to stay true in my story. It's perfectly fine, and it's not nitpicky at all. I loved it and thought it was great! This was actually an amazing example of what I was saying in my end note. You said exactly how you felt in a nice, sweet way and I didn't feel offended whatsoever so thank you very much!_

 **Guest (Great please continue)**

 _Thank you very much! I will!_


	7. Childhood Friend

**Summary: Michelle and Lucy are catching up, but Lucy can't shake the feeling that's there something wrong with Lucille, Michelle's mother. Also, Lucy made a decision to tell her guidance counselor, Ms. Strauss, about her letter that is beginning to haunt her more and more. After a talk with Ms. Strauss, Lucy finally decides to take charge of her life, but she's soon going to realize why a friendship with Natsu Dragneel might not be worth the price.**

 **Note: Hello again my lovely readers! I know I haven't updated in a while, but I've been trying to map out this story to see how exactly it's going to go. Like I said, it's only going to get crazier from here. I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

CHILDHOOD FRIENDS

When I mean trashed, I mean Michelle's house looked like Sharknado went crazy in it. It was obvious that there was some attempt to clean the place, like the neat bookshelf and the stacked magazine on the extremely tiny coffee table in front of a pale, yellow couch. The walls were a very pretty soft green, with strange colored stains. The colors matched Michelle's energy, but clearly not Lucille's, who was absent from the room, but I could hear odd TV cheering from behind a door next to the couch.

I'm extremely sure that Michelle saw me checking out her practically destroyed apartment-was that an used condom?-but obviously decided to just avoid the issue by waving me inside her stingy apartment. I swear I'll end up being the first person to catch HIV airborne. Yeah, I said it.

"I really can't believe it's you," For once, Michelle actually seemed to mean it. Like as if I was a terrible human that never took the time to contact her, ever. Oh wait. Shit.

"Well, it's me. Lucy. Of the Heartfilia family," For absolutely no reason, I said that in a British accent while looking towards the ceiling, as if all the answers to life were there.

"Wow, you're exactly the same as a kid! That's so cute!" Am I the only one that thought she meant that in a bad way? Because let me educate you on how as a kid, I once purposely bit off the head of your Barbie and blamed it on you in front of my parents, and they believed me. Therefore, you're saying I'm a Barbie killer who enjoys the pain of little kids.

"Really? You haven't changed a bit either, Michelle," And she hasn't. She was exactly the same. A big ball of sunshine was Michelle, even as a kid. I wasn't a crazy Michael Myers kid, but I was definitely more mischievous that she was. She was basically the perfect little angel while I was the little demon. I wasn't even badass enough to be a demon, I was more like one of those evil assistants, rather than a villain. My life is never going to amount to anything, is it?

"Ha, I can imagine! Well, please take a seat. I'm really sorry about our apartment, it's just that mother decided to have a little party last night. Would you like some tea? Or coffee?"

If there's one thing I remember my aunt from my dad's side saying (before she got married to some asshole that owned a bunch of irrelevant companies) was that all mischievous people had to be observant and clever. And I, thankfully, share those traits with my fellow terrible human beings. So I knew exactly what Michelle meant by "little party" and how she instantly tried to distract me with tea. Say one thing in a British accent, and suddenly you're the Queen of England.

"Oh, no thank you. I don't want to burden you! You seem so busy cleaning. Speaking of, where's your mom?" I asked as casually as I could, hoping Michelle couldn't understand what I was trying to hint at. No matter how long we were friends as kids, she never truly understood my humor or sarcastic remarks.

"She's in the next room. Can't miss her Dr. Phil, y'know." Hm. Ironic. "Well, what brings you to my home? Not that you're not welcome, Lucy, it's just weird to see you after so many years."

"Actually I came for advice." No I didn't, I just felt extremely guilty about not seeing you after years, but I'm going to pretend it's for advice. I'm totally a good person…somewhere…

"Oh! What about? Is everything ok?" With unmoving concern, Michelle sat on the couch, patting the seat next to her. It was actually the only thing that seemed completely clean. I was still cautious when I sat next to her though, making sure there wasn't any cigarettes or beer bottles, because when I was ten, my school made us watch a bunch of anti-smoking videos with a dancing cigarette in the background.

"Uh, well, actually…" Do I have time to make something up? Of course I do! "I got a letter in the mail a couple of uh, months ago and I don't know what to do about it…"

And that wasn't even a lie. I did, in fact, get a letter in the mail, but I did know what I was going to do about it…sort of…I was going to find the person and punch them in the face then declare myself victorious, while imaginary credits roll.

"Huh? What's so bad about a letter? Unless it's cruel, or something."

"Well, the things on it, for a start. It was really cruel." After I said this, it seemed that Michelle was uncomfortable and even didn't make eye contact with me. "And there's also no return address."

"Maybe you should just ignore it? I've written letters before, but it seems silly to get worked up about it, don't you think so Lucy?" Michelle asked, putting a comforting hand on my knee.

"I don't know. This person is obviously out for blood. Mine, especially. I just think that something worse might happen if I don't do something now," I explained carefully, watching her face pale slightly.

"Uh, maybe you should tell an administrator? It seems strange that you're getting such mean letters, your life seems so perfect!"

"I guess so. But actually it's not that strange," I laughed nervously, while Michelle's eyes hardened, and then went back to their joyous look.

"Nonsense! Your life is amazing. I mean, you're so pretty, while you don't have to really work for anything. That would be wonderful. About the letter…maybe you should tell an administrator at your school? They wouldn't be able to get anyone in trouble, right?"

"Wouldn't that defeat the purpose, though? Not getting them in trouble? But yeah, you're right. There's no return address, and it was typed," I said, annoyed. She was right, there really isn't much I could do rather than ignore it. But then again, it was still rude, right?

"Then just tell an administrator. It might help to get professional help, y'know. If I got a letter saying I'm pathetic, I would get upset as well," Offered Michelle, with a sweet smile. I had to return it, just because of how sweet it was.

The rest of day was just catching up between us two. Lucille came out once when we were laughing loudly, but other than that, she left us alone. It felt amazing to talk to her again, once I got over the guilt. It felt like my life was making sense again. Of course, I had to wonder how long that would last.

I could not be the only teenager in the world that never got along with school staff. I wasn't rude or disrespectful, but it was very obvious that I never wanted to be in their presence. Teachers made me uncomfortable, but I still enjoyed the lessons, especially literature. Levy definitely had the upper hand on that once, considering that once she completely insulted me using Shakespeare's Greatest Works for over an hour.

All in all, I was never close to any teachers, principals, or even guidance counselors. But today, that was going to change. Well, at least I hoped so. The letter that I gotten over the summer had been pleasantly avoided, until I began to obsess over it. It had actually hurt my feelings, and made me doubt many things about myself. Was I really that hated? Did people see me that way? The rumors had gone down a bit, but I still knew what they were saying. The fake suicide hadn't been cleared up whatsoever, regardless of what Levy and Lisanna say. They've been kind about the entire thing, even when people would whisper and point. I couldn't blame them much, I did the same thing to them.

But now wasn't the time to acknowledge my hypocrisy. It was time to show my guidance counselor the letter that was written to me with no return mail.

It was safe to say that I might either get over this predicament, or make it worse. I was hoping for this to work out, because I wasn't emotionally ready to deal with many things. It took a while to accept my mom's death, which still isn't easy to this day, but it doesn't plague me anymore. It took even longer to accept my dad's coldness before he actually got his shit together himself. But for some reason, I couldn't shake off this letter.

Ms. Strauss must've noticed me standing in front of her office for the last ten minutes, because she opened the door with a curious expression. She looked every bit like a model, with her hair now in a tight bun and glasses to finish off the look. Her ruffly, white blouse matched the rest of the dreary school.

"Lucy? What's the matter?" Ms. Strauss had asked. Once, in one of our sessions, she told me to simply call her Mira since we had become "homies." I still call her Ms. Strauss in my head, and when other students are around. She had taken a liking to call me Lucy instead of my last name.

"Uh, there's something I want to show you," Said thing was clutched in my hands tightly, while I stared at my sneakers.

"The double-checking thing was a joke, Lucy," Giggled Ms. Strauss, before leading me into her incredibly cramped, small office. It seemed that from our last session, many things have changed, including the amount of posters and brochures. They seemed to have tripled. From inspiring quotes about education, to puberty, to everything. Even more so, there were tissues and hand sanitizer which you would've thought should have been there before, but no.

Out of habit, I sat in the tiny seat in front of her cluttered desk. Instantly, Mira smiled. "What brings you to my office, Lucy?"

"What brought me to your storage closet was that-"

"Office."

"Right, sorry. What brought me to the cafeteria's freezer was a letter I got a couple of months ago." That got Ms. Strauss' full, undivided attention. "It's a bit person, as you can understand."

"Yeah, yeah. I mean I heard of a letter in the report of your suicide attempt, but it was mostly vague. I never thought it would become a problem. Can I see it?"

"Yeah. Here." Giving her the damn thing, I decided to look away while she was reading it. I knew what her reactions would be, considering she's still Lisanna's sister. My theory proved true, though, when I heard her horrified gasp.

"Lucy, what is this? Did another student send you this?"

"I have no idea. No return address, nothing. Not even a Scooby Doo clue."

"Hm, you're right. This person isn't a friend of yours, though, or they just unintentionally insulted themselves. Or maybe it was one of your friends and they wrote that to keep you off track!"

"Ok, that narrows the list down to two people, one of which is scared of butterflies and the other is your sister."

"I take that back. Wow, you only have to friends? Talk about quality over quantity. In any case, I'll report this and we'll get to the bottom of it. I promise Lucy."

"Thank, Ms-I mean Mira. Thank you so much."

"By the way," said Ms. Strauss before I could even stand up. "I'm not really supposed to do this, but a certain boy came to me a couple of weeks ago talking about a beautiful blonde girl that stayed with him and Ms. Aquarius after school. He said he was nervous to talk to again."

I stayed completely silent.

"I told him maybe that blonde girl can talk to him now. Without Ms. Aquarius, of course." That's when I knew. Yes, the letter might've been extremely shitty, but there was something on it that I couldn't ignore.

Stop being such a pussy.

Was I being a coward? I wasn't interested in him…was I? And I certainly couldn't ignore the "beautiful blonde girl" part. Was the person who wrote the letter right? Is that why I took the easy way out?

"Maybe she will."

It didn't take that long to find him, which was not surprising at all. I'm pretty sure he's the only pink haired, scar wearing teenage boy in our entire school. The world, maybe. He was surrounded by a group of people, next to Erza Scarlet and Gray. I had actually forgotten he was much more liked than normal people. On the verge of popular, actually.

Should I risk it? Risk getting humiliated in front of an entire group of people? It wasn't like I've never talked to him before. But it's been quite a while since our last encounter. And he also seemed interested in me. Worst case scenario, he says no…like I did…

Fuck it, I'm going to risk it. I'm supposed to wait for Levy and Lisanna so we can all go to Levy's house, but I needed to do this. With Ms. Strauss' words in my mind, I bravely way my through the crowd of people.

Making my way downtown, walking fast, faces pass, and I'm home bound.

Ok, serious time. I can do this. I'm going to prove my letter writer completely wrong. I'm no pussy! I'm a beautiful caterpillar, ready to become a butterfly! I can do this.

Once I actually got in front of him though was a completely different story. He was in the middle of creating some sexual tension with Gray through weird, specific insults, but my presence instantly got his attention.

"Lucy?" He asked in a way softer tone than the one he regarded Gray with. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to ask you something," Unfortunately for me, I could feel my face getting hotter, and it got worse when Gray decided to speak up.

"You couldn't be asking out this flame brain! You're way too hot!" Gray exclaimed, bursting into loud laughter. I don't think he actually meant that as a compliment, it seemed mostly to just spite Natsu. It worked almost like a charm.

"What was that, ice ass? Mind repeating it?"

"I said she's too-"

"Ahem. I came here to ask Natsu something, not to hear an argument." That, for some reason, got them both to stop completely. "Do you, uh, want to hang out sometime?"

"I should say no…"

"Okay…"

"But I'm not going to. Meet me after school tomorrow."

 **END NOTE: Welp, that's the chapter. Feels kinda short for the time I've had to update. Sigh. Very sorry for ending it there, but I'm like really tired right now, and for some reason, I can't nap. Like I can't fall asleep unless it's night-time, completely dark, and there's absolutely no noise. Am I the only one? Probably. Anywho, I hoped you all enjoyed this chapter. A bit of in character Natsu for your enjoyment. Doesn't matter what fic, if Gray is around, Natsu is usually always in character haha. And also Lucy finally spoke up a bit about the letter and re-united with Michelle. She's also getting closer to Natsu. So things are finally falling into place, but could her good luck turn to bad luck just as quickly? Now, onto the reviews!**

 **UnbalancedSoul (Your Welcome? I'm glad I didn't come off too...forceful. I try not to offend, just voice my opinion, but with it being incomplete, a work in progress, its difficult for me to give my full thoughts when that could all change.**

 **Its good to know that there's more than meets the eye with the ever expanding cast. As an amateur writer myself (working on my first at the moment, shameless plug. I'm rusty, if I'm nice about it), I can appreciate the way details are given to the audience: a bit too slow and methodical for my taste, but still enough to keep the thought of there being more to the story alive, like a fish on a line still under the water: its there, but not entirely.**

 **I suggestion, if I may: Lisanna. She has done almost nothing except be there, save the one chapter, which was mostly flashback. She has the makings of a crazy interesting side character: so don't let that chance go to waste (like the manga/series is doing. Seriously, she is a name, an event, not a character). What you do with this chance is your choice, if anything at all (don't let me shape your story), but there is a mold for something there.**

 **Funny how you mention you write darker tales, void of much humor, cause that is a flat out (unintentional) lie. There are plenty of moments where I chuckle, or just plain out laugh, at moments or implications.**

 **I'll leave it at that, don't wanna give you a workout reading my thoughts, as they are exactly that, mine, and they shouldn't affect you, your preformance, or anyone else and their preformance. Unless you do take it to heart, in which I'm flattered.)**

 _I completely understand where you're coming from with you trying not to offend. I'm glad you like to pace, because it is going to be a bit slower, but I like for my readers to fully understand and know what's going on before something different/crazy happens. I have to agree with the Lisanna thing, since she is being put off to the side a lot. I mean, it wasn't Hiro's decision to bring her back, but she's still just being there for the people that like her, and for no other reason. In my story, however, she plays a key part with the relationship between Natsu and Lucy in a different way than most stories write her out to be. Thank you so much, haha. It's actually completely true, this is my first time writing humor, but I'm very glad you're enjoying it. I take every single review to heart, especially one as long and as interesting as yours. By the way, I'll make sure to check out your story as well! With how you write reviews, I'm sure it's going to be amazing._

 **0GWxlf (I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT! Lucy is so blunt, Natsu and Lisanna I just have no words and now I feel like Lucy is bouta get into some trouble... so keep doing this amazing work of art!)**

 _Wow, thank you so much! She really is, and it's going to be very soon, haha. I will!_

 **Guest (Love it! Keep it up!)**

 _Thank you very much!_


	8. Left Nut

**Summary: Lucy and Natsu are finally getting alone time at a restaurant, and Lucy realizes Natsu may be more difficult than she realized**

 **Note: I totally update on time, haha. Very sorry for the late updates. I have no idea why it takes me so long to update (it's totally not because I've been rewatching Naruto or anything. Psshhh, what could give you that idea?). But there is a sort of introduction to two new characters! Minerva and Juvia. Sighh, I kinda wanted to put them off for later, but it's part of the story, so oh well. I hope you enjoy :)**

LEFT NUT

"So, where are we going?"

Ever since I asked Natsu to hang out-in front of quite a few people-it's been big news. By big, I mean gossip worthy. I've heard plenty of whispers all day today, mostly from girls who are crushing on him. There was one particular conversation, between Lisanna and another girl. I wasn't close enough during class to hear them, but I could make out my name, and something about Natsu's dad. The other girl was a famous drunk named Cana Alberona, who one time asked me for the color of my bra and proceeded to kiss me. True story.

It had taken me all week, today being Friday, to ask Natsu about the specifics of our "hang out", and he just simply gave me a weak smile and asked me to follow him places.

Pfft, and they say I wouldn't survive in a horror movie. I should totally follow people I don't trust with no one else around. Seriously. We were walking in the most deserted neighborhood ever. I really wanted to know where the hell we were going, someone's house? A cemetery? McDonalds?

Back to school?

Natsu didn't answer at first, he just kept walking beside me until we made a left turn. All the houses were getting bigger, which mean we were leaving inner Magnolia and going towards the way to my house. He obviously wanted to go somewhere nicer than McDonalds, although my stomach didn't seem to agree.

"We're going to a restaurant that I know. Is that ok?" He asked quietly. It didn't seem that he was shy, more like…uninterested? I definitely didn't get a nervous vibe from him. He just sounded sad, like all the freaking time.

"Yeah, that's fine." Honesty time. "Why did you say yes?"

"To what?"

"To hanging out with me. Why did you say yes? You sound so…out of it. You could've cancelled or said no."

"Because I didn't want to," He explained, looking ultra uncomfortable. "I really wanted to hang out with you. I am out of it, but it's not your fault. It's mine. So don't worry about it, okay?"

And he gave me a grin. Not a weak smile, a grin. He had blinding white teeth that looked fanged.

I had a sudden urge to find the nearest ATM, take out a couple of hundreds, and make it rain because he had never given me a grin before. I am really winning in life.

"You look happy," He commented, amused. Hell yeah I'm happy. The birds are chirping, the sun is out, and I'm making people grin and shit.

"Of course. I'm here, aren't I?" Lucy Hearfilia: The Smooth Operator. Ms. Steal Your Girl.

"Heh, didn't take you for the flirty type, Lucy."

"What are you talking about? I have lines of people awaiting for my phone number. Lines. But they just can't seem to attract me." I tried to pull of the most arrogant tone I could get, but it kinda sounded whiny and annoying. Whatever, I'll take it.

"So how am I different? I obviously attracted you."

"Whoa, slow your horses, my dear Natsu. Last time I checked, you asked me first. I only asked you to…keep things interesting. Have to spice up life, y'know?"

"So the millions of dollars you dad pulls isn't interesting enough? You have to get dudes with pink hair?" He laughed, and it sounded…warm. And happy.

"Eh, it was fun at first, I'm not going to lie. I liked having money, a lot. But it only gathered the wrong kind of people, and when they found out I was a weird ass person, they didn't want me around. And what's wrong with pink hair, besides the fact it's the same color society uses to identify the female gender?" I rambled, but I noted he was more relaxed. Of course, he was still guarded, but he seemed to actually enjoy himself for once around me. All the other times were awkward or teenage angsty.

"You nailed it. Hm…you are weird. Like really weird. And honest. Kinda wish I was like that…maybe things would be different right now…," He mumbled, and stopped it there. I wanted him to clarify, but maybe it wasn't a good idea. He obviously didn't mean to share that, so I kept my mouth shut…for once.

"I'm weird? You barely talk."

"I'm talking right now."

"Shut up, that's not what I meant!" I growled. This guy is has the nerve to call me weird?

"Alright, alright, don't get all fired up now. We're almost there, anyway." He shushed me, and we began walking in silence. I hadn't noticed that in our banter, we had made it pretty far from inner city Magnolia. The houses were now more similar to my own.

"Bet you live in one of these houses. Or better yet, in a bigger one," He commented, going back to his I'm-uninterested face.

"Yeah, something like that. Your house is decent sized," I countered, annoyed he was bringing back the money issue. Well, more irritated than annoyed. I really wanted to know what he was hinting at.

"Decent sized," He laughed again, but more mocking that genuine. "Right…"

We didn't speak for the rest of the walk there.

When we arrived at Heavenly Kings, I didn't except it to be…fancy? It wasn't high classed, but still classy enough to be somewhere my dad would approve of. It had classical music, and the inside was drenched in modern furniture with a black and gold color scheme. Abstract paintings decorated the thin walls. I looked at Natsu in question, but he kept his blank space.

We had to wait in line a bit. It wasn't extraordinarily long or anything, but I still didn't like waiting. It was the biggest waste of time, besides commercials and shaving during the winter.

It felt extremely strange to walk to a classy restaurant like we did. We were also extremely underdressed, regardless of how much Hollister jeans cost (a whole freaking lot, actually. Like way too much) and my Heart Krutz shirt wasn't exactly vintage Chanel.

"Heavenly Kings? You dine…strange," I said, and that actually seemed to bring a frown to his face.

"Yeah, don't worry. I can pay for it," He said, as if I had offended him. What was his problem, gosh?! What did I even do? Man, I'd call him bipolar if I didn't know any better. He was probably just having mood swings or something.

"I wasn't doubting you financial status, Natsu," I grumbled, loud enough so that he could hear me. "I just wanted to know why here, and not Burger King or something…it was way closer and I was actually craving nuggets…"

I may not be able to eat you now, but I swear on this hunger, that we will meet again…chicken nuggets…

"Because Burger King isn't somewhere you take a girl on a date. If I learned one thing from my dad, it was that."

"And which dating advice website told you this was a date?"

"Are you saying that because it was you that asked me, Lucy? Feminism is a thing, please be aware of it."

"Excuse me? I'll have you know that I've been a feminist since the uterus, buddy! Way before Beyonce made it cool. I wore a shirt that said feminist and did you know how many guys asked if they could hit me? Tons! I was like, 'I'm not provoking you, am I?' and like, ninety nine percent got extremely schooled and left. The one percent asked me more about feminism…"

"I bet my left nut it was Jellal…"

"Congrats, your left nut gets to live another day."

"Don't discriminate, he grew up struggling. The doctors say it's a miracle he's lived this long."

"Let me guess, is he the longer one?"

It was strange to be able to talk to Natsu like this. He was extremely guarded, like I said, but as soon as we got a chance to joke around, he would relax and be approachable. I mean he did seem sensitive to certain things, but I'm guessing he must've gone through something…

Like Lisanna rejecting him and laughing…

"Hey, it's our turn. Let's go in."

Once again, Natsu has the magic to make me unaware of our surroundings when we talk. We were seated extremely quickly by a slightly judgmental waitress when she saw our outfits. She also seemed to dislike Natsu's hair, because she consistently kept staring and it and pointed it out to another waitress who obviously hated her job.

It was a huge relief when we were finally seated…next to a huge window that gave us the spectacular view of a pizza shop. My stomach grumbled in defiance.

"Hey," Natsu began to smirk…"Look over there. The table near the entrance."

I turned around, making it extremely obvious I was looking for a certain table. Was that…Gray Fullbuster? He was sitting with what seemed to be Cana and another ginger, spikey haired male. He was also being interrogated by a pretty, blue haired girl who started crying endlessly.

"Wait, isn't that Juvia? Fuck, hide me!" I squealed, once I recognized her shriek of "Gray-sama" and her deep blue hair.

"Why? Let me guess, you talked to Gray once, and now you're her 'Love Rival'?" Natsu laughed gleefully, enjoying my pain while I was strategically looking for the fire exits and calculating how long my dad would arrive to pick me up.

"No, more like Gray bumped into me in the hall and helped me pick up my books and she spilled water on me…it was a cute shirt too…"

"Oh, I remember that! Ha, that's hilarious!"

"To you, maybe. But that was terrifying! She proclaimed me her rival like this is an anime or some shit. And I could've sworn she didn't have that water bottle like, ten seconds before she saw me."

"Just chill. She just really loves Gray, what's wrong with that?"

"Nothing! But I was innocent, ok? She didn't have to do that, right?"

Natsu just shrugged. "It was harmless, though. Don't worry about it."

The way he brushed it off was suspicious, so I narrowed my eyes at him slowly, until he got the hint to start talking.

"Ok, ok! Stop looking at my like that, jeez. I may or may not…have joked that…there is a slightly possibility that well…you and Gray…were like…together?"

"You're fucking sadistic…"

"I'm sorry, fuck!" For those unware, he didn't seem sorry at all. "He was talking about you all dreamy like so I just made a joke. First one in forever…"

"Wait, Gray was talking about me?" I couldn't help the heat that reached my cheeks. Gray wasn't unattractive at all. And the very, very few times we've spoken showed that Gray was actually extremely cool.

"Yeah, so?" Back to guarded Natsu we go. Yipee.

"Well, I've always wanted to be friends with him…but I was always kinda shy…"

"Why?"

"It's not like I have a sparkling clean reputation. You knew about it, he probably does too. I'm an embarrassment."

Before Natsu got the chance to speak, our lovely waitress approached our table. "My name is Minerva, I'll be your waitress for today. Can I start with you with some drinks?"

Yes, I would like a tall glass of stop-with-the-attitude with some ice. This girl had serious arrogance issues…and this is coming from me. She didn't say anything strange, but the sneer on her face was enough indication. Natsu thought the same, judging by his eyebrow raise.

"Yeah, I'll just have water. What about you, Lucy?"

Now time to kick into my special Annoy Levy mode. "I'll have a soda."

Our waitress, Minerva, rolled her eyes, then smirked. "What kind?"

"What kind is there?" I smirked back, and then looked at the menus she withheld from us. She, begrudgingly, handed them over.

"Fountain drinks," She snapped, pulling out a tiny note pad and pencil. Her uniform fit in with the black and white color scheme, and her hair was done in intricate braids. Her extremely tan skin contrasted well with her white blouse. As much as I hated to say it, and I really did hate to say it, she was gorgeous.

"I'll have the Bellagio Fountain," I snapped back, causing Natsu to snicker silently once he understood what I said.

The waitress glared at me, before smirking again. "Coca-cola it is then."

Jokes on her, that's what I was going to order before she had to be all rude.

"Hm, she was something," Said Natsu, frowning at my probably pissed off expression.

"Yeah," I muttered. She sure was.

The night was actually fun. Natsu had his sad, guarded moments, but he was mostly friendly and easy to talk to. He laughed a couple of times and I couldn't help but laugh with him. Getting the slightest taste of his care-free moments was infectious.

Could I actually be friends with someone like him?

But as the night rolled on, Lisanna's face became more and more constant in my mind. Is it worth her pain?

 **END Note: Short, yes, I know! Very, very sorry. I'm just really upset and angry and hurt all at once and it's very complicated. Let's just say I'm going through some internal conflicts right now. I wish I had someone to talk to…but it's okay. How is everyone liking the recent chapter? What's your favorite part of the story? Yes, I 1,000% understand that both Lucy and Natsu are so OOC it's crazy, but it's an AU. They are surrounded by different environments and they have gone through different ordeals, especially Natsu. So they're not going to be what Mashima intended, which is very sad but I hope the story is decent to overlook it. I know Natsu's moods are confusing, but it'll be explained with time. I didn't get many reviews this time, which is perfectly okay, so I'm going to save the review replies for the next chapter. Have a wonderful summer!**


	9. Drunk Stacy

**Summary: Lucy is the star of a new play unwillingly, but it starts to become a scheme to repair old friendships.**

 **Note: So I finally went back to the Awkward (the show) plot line, haha. The main character (Jenna) playsa similar character but it's going to end differently than the original show. I'm really sorry, sorry, for not updating for so long. I'm not going to make any excuses, I was just lazy and unprofessional. It's completely on me, I'm very sorry. I also can't make an end note for some reason, I'm on my iPad and it's not working. I'll try to fix that sometime soon. Thank you so much for reading!**

Drunk Stacy

"It's that time again, huh?" Levy asked. Lisianna and I both groaned, despite the excitement surrounding the cafeteria.

Now, those who are wondering what time Levy is talking about, it's complicated. Our school isn't exactly theatrical, so when there is even a rumor about a play,mall the students begin to act like it's a Beyoncé concert or something and freaking pee all over themselves with anticipation.

Why am I being a cliche angsty teenager right now? My late mother was a huge, I mean huge Brodway fan. She would try to take to me see an actual play many times, but I just wanted to stay at home and play video games as a kid, forcing her to take my dad. I never got that part of her genes, because I don't sing and I can't act unless it's to get out of something or lower a deal.

My dad, after my mom's death, neglected my existence for a long time until a weird turn of events where I ran away. Well, I got as far as the closets McDonalds, but my dad completely freaked out. It still took him a while to get over my mother's death, but he's much better now. Problem is, he's taken to honoring her memory by forcing me to do all the things she liked, one thing being key collecting (who collects keys? And why? Why would you want the key to someone else's house and for what reason?)

I got as far as ten keys and some pretty silver ones before I finally stared liking it.

One thing I will never like, although, is theatre. Don't take it personally, but it's just so much work...and dedication...and actual motivation which I don't have nor do I want.

"Yeah, I can't believe we're doing Drinking and Driving again...I wonder who's going to play Drunk Stacy?" Asked Lisanna, her shrinking blue eyes darting around the room, looking at all the possible candidates.

"It won't be Erza, that's for sure...," I said as quietly as possible. Erza Scarler is many things; scary, beautiful, admirable. But she is not an actress. Last year we did a very small play for our elementary school students, which was the Little Mermaid. Erza fit the role well, with her crimson hair and pretty features, except she completely froze up and delivered a whooping zero of her lines.

"I can't believe a dumb play about drinking and driving is so popular. That myth about whoever plays Drunk Stacy is guaranteed popularity and good luck lives on, I guess," Levy laughed, finally looking up from her think book from Literature class.

"Actually, I kinda believe it. The last girl that played Drunk Stacy went to Dartmouth, didn't she? And graduated top of her class, too," Informed Lisanna, flipping her short hair over her shoulder.

"First, that was Kagura, who transferred from all girls private school. She was already smart and popular. She could've graduated early if she wanted to, so she doesn't really count. She's even younger than Erza, who is equal to her."

Lisanna shrugged off my statement, beginning to pick at her chicken salad, while Levy's food remained untouched.

"What if you play Drunk Stacy, Lucy? You'd be amazing, I think!" Levy chirped, closing her book.

"Oh hell no!"

"Now is the moment you have all been waiting for..."

Our high school auditorium was stuffy and dirty. Our entire class was stuffed together in the seats closest to the stage, where Mrs. Strauss looked dazzling in a black dress that came down to her knees and a cute French scarf. She also had a script in one hand while the other was clutching the microphone.

Beside me where Levy (who looked uninterested and was probably wondering what book to read next) and Lisanna (who looked delighted to see her sister).

"I have been giving the deciding vote in who is to play Drunk Stacy for our annual Drinking and Driving play. I know many of you auditioned, and we would all like to thank those who were brave enough to show us what they got! Now without further ado...here is the cast!"

Squeals and murmurs began to surface while Mira was waiting for an upperclassman to give her the list. To my surprise, it Gildarts, one of the more um..."friendly" teachers.

"Thank you, Mr. Clive! Now the person who is playing Madison, Stacy's best friend is...Oh! Lisanna Strauss!"

Everyone in the room pretended there wasn't favoritism involved while we clapped politely. Lisanna smiled brightly anyway, basking in the glory.

I leaned over and whispered, "you tried out?"

She blushed slightly before replying. "I originally wanted to play Drunk Stacy, but yeah I did. After lunch yesterday."

Why on Earth would she want to be in a play? She never showed any interest in theatre before, nevertheless school plays.

To each their own, I guess.

"The person who will be playing Madison's boyfriend is...Natsu Dragneel!"

Well damn if that's not irony at its finest. At this, Lisanna became completely red, looking like she was going to have a heart attack. Levy and I shared a look before giggling quietly.

I knew for sure he didn't try out, barely any of the guys do. They just pick the most recognizable of our class and give them extra credit.

"Now for Drunk Stacy's boyfriend, Jake. Give it up for Gray Fullbuster!"

The loudest cheering came from straight behind us by Juvia, who was squealing about her "Gray" and how beautiful he would be as a character in the dumbest play to be ever created.

"And now, the moment of truth! Drunk Stacy will be played by...Lucy-"

NO.

"-Heartfilia."

NO. NO. NO.

I know for a fact that so may other girls tried out for this stupid play, so many. But the one person who didn't even give the play a second thought somehow lands the part? Conspiracy everywhere.

I wasn't the only on with this mentality, however, because as soon as Mrs. Strauss announced my name, there were protests everywhere. I usually would mentally defend myself, but they weren't wrong (they didn't have to call me a talentless bitch though...)

"Lucy, what the hell? I thought you hated this!" To my surprise, Levy was the one who whispered this harshly. Lisanna just started laughing at my misfortune.

Mom? You there? Yeah so usually when parents die, they guide their kids in the right direction through subtle hints. Not force them to stand on stage in front of thousands and pretend you're dying. Get your priorities checked.

"I do hate this, I don't understand why I was picked! Who else auditioned?"

"Erza, I think."

"Nevermind what I said."

"She scared all the other girls into out of auditioning, actually. Said she was going to take their spinal cord out of their bodies a beat them senseless with it."

"Seriously? I thought a bunch of other girls...wait, does that mean she's going to beat me? No, no! Wait, I can't die yet. No like that either, I always thought I was going to die in a meadow surrounded by flowers and the ones I love."

"Alright, Norma from Orange is the New Black. Just talk to Ms. Strauss, she'll take you out for sure," advised Levy.

I stayed quiet, and began observing my surroundings. Plenty of girls were mad, and chills began to apper when I noticed a familiar redhead with her arms crossed. Beside her were Natsu, who looked painfully bored,and Gray, who just looked pained. I could hear Juvia, who was sitting behind, bawling and how unfair it was that I was dating Gray (well, our characters were, even though we all know how the story ends...)

Most of the other people in our class, however, just seemed excited for a new play. Oh how was I going to get out of this one...

It took me the entire day to build up the courage to go to Ms. Strauss' office, having to see Gray twice and feeling completely insecure that I had to kiss that guy (the script called for it TWICE. Two times! Teenagers and their hormones...well, more like middle aged people trying to prevent us from drinking and driving so they write a shitty play. But let me not rant, even though it seems that's all I do.)

I had to make awkward eye contact with Erza once during writing class, and immediately asked to go to the bathroom and hid there for the entirety of the class. I almost go in trouble for "skipping" but I managed to talk my way out of it. Only because the writing teacher was having a good day and overlooked my small misdemeanor. Jellal kindly filled me in one what we did that day, while congratulating me on landing Drunk Stacy. He then made a long speech about our government before finally letting me leave.

Have one conversation and you're suddenly best friends, talking about "pure freedom" and our lack of.

Finally, I was standing outside her familiar office, rehearsing my speech over and over. I needed to stand my ground! No matter who many times she tried to sweet talk out of the situation, I will not fail!

With determination, I knocked on her door, feeling a wave if confidence. Erza could fill my role, even if she freezes up on stage last minute. It couldn't be that big of a bust, right?

When Mira opened the door, she didn't seem at all surprised I was there. She greeted me with her sweet smile, before moving so I could get in. Thankfully, her office was free of other students as I sat down in the familiar cramped space.

"I know why you're here, alright? But let me explain," said Mira, sitting in front of me. "A lot of people...don't paticularly...like you. You don't have a good reputation around the school, as I've noticed-"

"I'm surprised you noticed anything with your dry love life begin a bust," I interrupted.

"Anyway, you're not popular, and I have some concerns that it's affecting your mood and behavior. You're rude, rebellious, and completely out of control. The other day, you screamed at a freshman for bumping into you. She was traumatized."

Ugh, here we go again. "First, I'm always rude. Go deal with dumbasses for eight hours and try being a ray of sunshine. And second, I didn't scream at that little bitch, all I said was to watch where she was going. It's not my fault she's a crybaby, jeez. It's a cramped high school, what did she expect? High School Musical?"

"Well, yeah. We're all in this together, Lucy, so you better get your head in the game."

I laughed lightly. As much as I complained about Ms. Strauss in the past, she understood me more than anyone, probably. She's also really nice, but brutally honest.

"You just admitted to watching High School musical, to the extent of remverimg the lyrics."

Ms. Strauss leaned foward, giving me a lawyer's look. "But that's not why you're here, right?"

"You got me, detective. I don't want to be Drunk Stacy, ok? It's just...not my thing."

"Listen, Lucy, I'm not just doing this for you. It's for everyone involved. Just please work with me? For once? I swear it'll be fun!"

That peaked my interest. Everyone involved? What was Ms. Strauss playing at here?

"What are you even talking about? I'm confused," I stated, not understanding what she was talking about. The cast list did seem too perfect to be a coincidence, especially with Lisanna and Natsu.

With Ms. Strauss' slow forming smirk, it didn't take long that she knew exactly what she was doing. She didn't say anything, just gave me a look until I began to smile back.

"You're going to owe me for this one, Ms. Strauss."


	10. My Predicament

Hello, my beautiful readers! I'm Jay, and this is isn't a chapter (I know, I know, I'm shitty but I beg you to please read!).

I love this story, I do! It's so light and happier than so much of my other stuff, it really is. It makes me feel good writing it. The problem is: I can't anymore. The device I use to write is my laptop, which completely sucks. It's so virus filled, to the point where I can barely use google chrome and not to mention that if the charger is unplugged, it shuts down immediately. Any work I've done in any chapter is gone completely. I have to restart over and over. It's not just with my writing, it's with my school work as well. My parents can't afford a new one, and I don't have a job yet to buy one. Even if I had a job, most of my money has to go to college. This isn't a pity story, I swear, I just want to inform you guys of what's going on and why I haven't updated in a while. Like I said, it's not lack of motivation and I'm thinking of just deleted it. I don't know yet. If there's anyway any of you can help me, I would be eternally grateful. For now, please enjoy the other chapters while they're still up! (If you're wondering how I'm uploading this, it's through my iPad, but it's so difficult to upload on this as well because I'm not the only person who uses it, so I don't really have enough time to upload a full chapter unlike last time.

I'm so sorry about this. I know it sucks, but I encourage you to read much better stories than mine. I will 1000% understand if you decided to unfollow/un favorite. If you decide to keep following, thank you so much! Hopefully none of you will have to, but I don't see anyway of getting a new laptop. Goodbye for now, and have a wonderful summer.


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